Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) met with officials from the World Bank on Thursday to discuss prospective collaboration and partnership to initiate and implement reforms in the Philippine government’s procurement law.
This initiative is in line with the agenda of Pangandaman to maximize the use of digitalization to ensure transparency and generate savings on the public procurement process.
“The Government Procurement Reform Act (Republic Act 9184) was passed in 2003. That was nearly two decades ago. The timing is therefore ripe to introduce further reforms and review the government procurement process,” Pangandaman said.
“We are seriously advocating this to promote efficiency and sustainability in our public procurement process, as well as to further professionalize our procurement practitioners. This is, in fact, one of the top agenda I mentioned during my confirmation as DBM Secretary. We will endeavor to make this happen,” the Secretary added.
During the meeting in Washington DC, the World Bank expressed its admiration and full support to the new leadership of the DBM, and likewise committed to provide technical assistance to the DBM so it can efficiently study, plan, and implement reforms and amendments in the procurement law.
“We had a productive meeting with Secretary Amenah this morning. We are encouraged by the Madame Secretary’s vision, energy and drive for continuing reforms in the area of procurement and budget management. The World Bank will be pleased to technically support them,” Ndiame Diop, World Bank Country Director for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand said.
For her part, Pangandaman said that “the DBM sincerely welcomes the efforts of the World Bank to support the Department’s goal for transformation. We are looking forward to engaging our World Bank partners, as we endeavor to work on these procurement reforms.”
“According to the World Bank’s study, the national government can save at least 26 to 29 percent of its total procurement cost, should reforms in the procurement law be implemented,” the secretary stressed.
Aside from the reforms in government procurement, also discussed during the meeting between DBM and World Bank are other prospective areas for cooperation such as the National Government Rightsizing Program, cash-based budgeting system, Green Procurement, and the Budget Treasury Management System.
Among the World Bank attendees who met Sec. Pangandaman included Hassan Zaman, Regional Director; Enzo De Laurentiis, Chief Procurement Officer, OPCS; Alma Kanani, Practice Manager; Hiba Tahboub, Practice Manager; Alexandre Borges de Oliveira, Lead Procurement Specialist; Soleymane Coulibaly, Program Leader; and Frode Davanger, Senior Country Officer.
In attendance from the World Bank via Zoom are Achim Fock, Operations Manager; Diomedes Berroa, Practice Manager; Patricia McKenzie, Practice Manager; Ahmed Merzouk, Lead Procurement Specialist; Dominic Reyes Aumentao, Senior Procurement Specialist; Lilanie Maitim, Senior Operations Officer; and Rommel Salazar Herrera, Operations Office.
DBM Undersecretary for Budget Policy and Strategy Joselito Basilio likewise attended the meeting in Washington DC, while Government Procurement Policy Board Executive Director Rowena Candice Cruz and Procurement Service Executive Director Dennis Santiago attended virtually.