Emerging tool to reduce dishonesty
KARLENE FRANCIS, World Bank operations manager, who commented on the two-day procurement audit workshop, attended by auditors across the Caribbean, said the training would include guidance on electronic procurement systems.
“Well designed and implemented e-procurement system can strengthen oversight and reduce opportunities for improper exercise of discretion,” she said.
She argued that e-procurement was emerging as a tool to reduce corruption in the public sector.
In 2013, the World Bank implemented the first electronic procurement system in the Caribbean.
The Electronic Pharmaceutical Procurement System is being used by the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to purchase pharmaceuticals and other medical products for nine OECS countries.
Francis disclosed that the use of the electronic procurement system resulted in an estimated 35 per cent reduction in the unit cost of medical products.
“Regional procurement of harmonised portfolio of 700 medical products, has produced collective annual cost saving of US$3 million and has exemplified the pool procurement of pharmaceuticals as a good model to gravitate to other commodities such as textbooks,” she added.
Francis encouraged the group to discuss pool procurement and electronic procurement systems, which are collectively being used by the OECS pharmaceutical procurement service to realise significant financial savings, improved transparency, and increased efficiency.
Jamaica’s Auditor General Pamela Monroe Ellis is the secretary-general of CAROSAI.