Govt e-auctions to increase
The Finance Ministry announced yesterday that it planned to raise the minimum value of government procurement contracts required to be awarded by electronic auction from Bt2 million to Bt5 million, saying the higher ceiling would speed up public spending.
Caretaker Deputy Finance Minister Varathep Ratanakorn told provincial governors that the delay in government spending in the provinces was mainly due to government expenditure regulations and problems with the e-auction procedure. The market mechanism in the provinces, he said, did not function as well as in Bangkok. He cited the problem of bidders winning public contracts but abandoning their interest in the projects due to unexpected rises in construction costs, which are beyond their control. Varathep said the ministry had got the agreement of the Comptroller General's Department to raise the minimum value of government procurement contracts required to be awarded by e-auction from Bt2 million to Bt5 million in order to build more flexibility into the system. Government agencies will decide which types of auction to use for contracts worth between Bt2 million and Bt5 million. Varathep said the ministry would on Tuesday seek Cabinet approval for the higher ceiling, as well as for allowing provincial CEO governors - rather than the director-general of the Comptroller General's Department - to appoint an e-auction panel for each procurement contract.
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