Fiji to benefit from US procurement funding

THE US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has announced significant new funding aimed at enhancing public procurement processes for quality infrastructure projects in seven Pacific Island nations.

Under its Global Procurement Initiative (GPI), the Agency will provide funding for training programs focused on equipping governments with best practices, models, and analysis tools to ensure optimal outcomes for infrastructure investments.

The announcement was made by its director, Enoh Ebong during a visit to Fiji, coinciding with the second anniversary of the US government’s Indo-Pacific Strategy launch.

Mr Ebong emphasised the importance of robust and transparent public procurement systems in enabling countries to evaluate proposals based on long-term lifecycle costs and best value, rather than solely relying on lowest-cost bids that may lead to subpar infrastructure and failed development outcomes.

“Our training is intended to generate the best possible outcomes for our Pacific Island partners,” he said.

“This includes securing the best value for their tax dollars and fostering greater competition for infrastructure procurements from a broader spectrum of international companies, including those from the United States.”

The Agency’s’s assistance will encompass in-country training sessions and a study tour to the US.

The training workshop, spanning three days and to be hosted in Fiji, will bring together mid- to senior-level procurement officials from Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

Additionally, the study tour will offer up to 17 procurement officials from Pacific Island nations the opportunity to gain insights into effective procurement models through engagements with counterparts at various levels of the US federal, state, and local governments.