E-Procurement in Government of Haryana | Original Article

ABSTRACT:

Procurement is generally regarded as a sensitive function in the public sec¬tor and is rarely transparent. It is for this reason that public procurement is one of the areas in governance that remains insulated against any process improvements. Governments the world-over are under constant pressure to meet the expectations of the citizens and to do more with the less resources that are available to them. There is a growing realization in governments that usage of information and communication technology (ICT) can remove the existing administrative barriers and make the government’s procurements more efficient, accessible and transparent, besides being cost-effective. E-procurement implementation is an attractive quick-win solution for gov¬ernments, since it results in cost cutting, introduces different sourcing prac¬tices, and delivers other quantifiable benefits. However, there is little history of extensive use of e-procurement in the public sector in India. The present case study highlights the successful implementation of a state-wide e-pro¬curement platform across several government departments, public sector units, urban local bodies in the state of Haryana and the quantifiable benefits it has delivered to the suppliers and the government directly, and to the society, indirectly. This path-breaking initiative has provided transpar¬ency, fairness and equal opportunity to private entrepreneurs who are now able to submit bids online on an anywhere and anytime basis for government contracts and sell products or expertise to government agencies through the e-procurement portal. Electronic procurement (e-procurement) has, in recent years, been used as a means to significantly reduce costs, as it enables volume purchases, allows wider choice of buyers and suppliers, brings about better quality, improves delivery, reduces paperwork, and lowers administrative costs Haryana has set up an E-Procurement Marketplace, linking government departments, agencies and local bodies with their vendors allow equal opportunity to all vendors; bring transparency and ultimately reduce corruption.