Ministry upbeat over e-procurement

JAKARTA: The Public Works Ministry has set a target for all 33 provinces in the country to get online-based tender systems by 2013.

Head of the ministry’s data center Danis Hidayat said that the e-procurement system would be available in 29 provinces in 2012. “Four provinces: Papua, West Papua, North Maluku and West Sulawesi will have to wait because they have problems with internet access,” he said.

Danis said that the application of e-procurement could boost efficiency and curb corruption.

Earlier, the Finance Ministry said that the government would promote e-procurement as part of the government’s program to establish a more effective and efficient procurement system.

The simplification of the procurement procedures is stipulated in Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No.54/2010 on public goods and services procurement, which replaces Presidential Decree (Keppres) No.80/2003. The new regulation was issued by the government after a special Cabinet meeting in Bogor last August.