Agencies' electronic auctions save funds funds
During the first eight months of the year, Bt16.2 billion has been saved through the use of electronic auctions by government agencies, according to the Comptroller General's Department.
That represents savings of 7 per cent of all budgets during those eight months, from a total budget of about Bt232 billion. This figure is a significant increase over the same period last year. During the first eight months of last year, only Bt3.6 billion had been saved, around 6 per cent of the overall budget. The department's director-general Boonsak Chiempricha said that since early this year, the government has had a policy that its agencies had to make purchases worth over Bt5 million, instead of the previous Bt2 million, through electronic auctions, and the savings had increased. Records indicate that from January to August this year, electronic auctions saved the government Bt16.2 billion through 19,193 auctions. "The government spent Bt215.78 billion, instead of Bt232 billion, as its entire budget. It has helped the country save a lot of money," said Boonsak. Using electronic systems, government bodies have two choices when purchasing - reverse auctions or sealed-bid auctions. There are 10 online procurement service providers - CAT Telecom, Pantavanij, Bizdimension, Datamat, Software Link, Free Internet, Pop Network, Intelligent Solution Service, Newtron, and ICN System - all registered at the government's website at www.gprocurement.go.th to provide procurement for agencies. Boonsak said the department had trained government staff to conduct electronic auctions and also assisted them to set up electronic auctions throughout the country. More than 1,500 government officials have been involved.
Asina Pornwasin The Nation
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