Экономические науки / 15.Государственное регулирование экономики

Uzakbay Islam

Caspian State University of technologies and engeneering, Kazakhstan

Electronic government procurement (e-GP) in Kazakhstan

According to Forrester Research1, worldwide online trade was estimated at USD 12.8 trillion in 2006. Following the explosive growth of e-commerce in the private sector, governments all over the world have started to pay close attention to e-GP as a tool to modernize and improve their public procurement systems.

The use of electronic means to enhance the management of the public procurement process is one of the central components of public sector reform programs due to its potential development impact. Keeping in mind that governments are the single largest purchaser of a national economy and that the public procurement systems in low- and middle-income countries are typically far away from spending money in a transparent and efficient way, the application of digital technology offers opportunities for improvements that the public sector cannot afford to ignore. Benefits of e-GP are in line with the objectives of internationally recognized public procurement systems: enhanced transparency & compliance, increased performance & quality, and economic development.

In Kazakhstan's transition to a market economy required a fundamental revision of public procurement system. From planned, rigidly regulated the supply of products needed to switch to thethe purchase of goods in an environment where the buyer always open opportunities to choose from numerous offers of suppliers.

Market for government procurement - this is not the private capitalist market, where competition of sellers and buyers personal interest are powerful economic stimulus. State official, in general, does not look like a typical market entity: it is often easier to buy goods in one might have long familiar to him supplier.  In an official virtually no incentive for careful selection of lucrative for the state proposals.  Moreover, in the absence of clear regulation of the procurement process, the sector of state activity has often become a breeding ground for abuse and corruption.

World practice has developed a fairly reliable machine optimization problem in public procurement and to combat corruption - the statutory holding of public tenders.

The history of electronic government procurement in Kazakhstan starts in 2004 when the country's President at the annual Address to the Nation was tasked with building e-government. Tenth November 2004 program on e-government was approved by Presidential Decree "On State Programme for building e-government in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2005-2007". Kazakhstan option designed to meet the international experience and provides long-term with the implementation of 3 phases.

The first phase - information - is the publication and dissemination of official information on government websites.

In the second stage - interactive - state bodies and citizens begin to interact online: citizens can get online help and fill in the declaration, the state line can carry licensing, and government purchases.

In the third stage in the online mode will be to make financial transactions - for example, pay taxes and fees.

LLP e-Commerce Center "on the order of the Committee of the financial control of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan develop automated integrated information system" Electronic government procurement, which is part of the E-Government Infrastructure. "

The system is designed for e-GP system in real time. For this system provides information about the needs (requests for the supply of goods, works and services), customers, and their consolidation as a result of the formation of the directory tenders (consolidated list of applications approved for purchase, with the designated date of execution), followed by procurement procedures.

The main purpose of automated integrated information system "Electronic government procurement (AIIS e-GP) is to improve the functioning of public procurement through the introduction of modern information and communication technologies in the procurement of goods and services for state needs, as well as translation of the public procurement process from paper to electronic form.

From 1 April 2008 on the Republican Web site on government procurement was launched in pilot operation of the module quotations AIIS e-GP. To participate in the e-GP customers, organizers and potential suppliers must complete the registration process in the system. Web portal of public procurement - the state information system that provides a single point of access to electronic services of public e-procurement.

Launched four years ago, e-procurement portal has become perhaps the most popular in the Kazakh segment of the Internet - at least according to the statistics: every day on the site go over 100 thousand unique visitors. Number of users of the web portal of public procurement during the operation of the system of electronic public procurement has increased from 33 thousand in 2009 to 75 thousand in 2010.

Transparency of the process - the main condition for fair and objective relations between business and government, lack of bias or preference in the selection of suppliers. In 2009, the total amount of electronic procurement amounted to 18 billion tenge, economy has developed in the $ 6 billion, or 25% of the planned amount. Last year, the amount of government purchases rose to 112 billion, savings - up to 32 billion tenge, or 23% of the planned amount.

In addition, the system e-GP become a powerful tool in the fight against corruption. According to the Center of e-commerce, which serves as the national operator in the field of information, the number of trackers - requests, calls, emails received by the center has risen from 45,291 (in 2009) to 188,871 (for 2010). Increasing the number of requests resulted in the improvement of the quality and trackers. If you start at the beginning of e-GP were popular issues, how to register on the portal of public procurement, as I see ads, fix bugs, but now comes and suggestions for improving the system, the various comments from suppliers and customers. Recently, members of an interesting in electronic tenders.

If we talk about customers, there were about 592 in 2008, in 2009, more than 19,000 in 2010 to become about 22 thousand. Suppliers in 2008 was 474, about 14 thousand - in 2009, 2010, the number of suppliers has increased to 53 thousand. Thus, the total number of users of the web portal of public procurement has increased from 33 thousand in 2009 to 75,000 in 2010.

The electronic format of procurement method of price offers has become mandatory from January 2010. Registered on the portal of the 75 thousand participants, half of the act as potential suppliers, with about 20 thousand are individual entrepreneurs. This figure clearly demonstrates the indirect effects, which give e-GP, in addition to economy of budgetary funds, to ensure transparency of trades, increasing the field of competition and the fight against corruption. This assistance in times of crisis, small and medium businesses: the economically active entrepreneurs rather closely with the state order, and it helps them stay afloat, get some share of public funds. The Ministry of Finance in pilot mode worked through an electronic method of competition, which subsequently will be able to apply all state agencies. In parallel, e-Commerce Center develops electronic auctions, extremely careful while considering the Russian experience: if the system in Kazakhstan e-GP started with competitions and so-called "price", in Russia, to begin with auctions. Domestic developers e-GP not paid attention to one of the most advanced electronic trading systems in the world - South Korean Koneps. Role model has also been experience in implementing e-government in the UAE and Israel.

However, the electronic format of the procurement method of price offers is not working perfectly. The biggest problem in Kazakhstan, no one pays attention to the technical specifications in government procurement, and particularly in electronic products. Then there are complaints from customers: here, we bought a very bad pencils. And why not pay attention to the technical specifications? We write - a pencil, the only criteria - price and get the cheapest pencil. Or, for example, have written - the machine. Well even if the car got something they, too, are different.

It should be very clear, initially to discuss: What do you want to identify the requirements, standards, this product must meet, where it will be used, and even then you can ask for the lowest price.

Another method of improving the system of electronic public procurement is an auction. Auctions - this is the last stage in the development of electronic procurement. This is considered one of the most advanced, complex process that requires great technical effort, good infrastructure. If in the case of price offers and contests, you apply and wait for something at auction you should always be online, what do you want a very good channels of communication. All bids are in online mode, and depending on how quickly the provider responds to a particular application and depends on its success. Evolutionarily auctions - the last stage and is scheduled to run such sites in the second half of this year in pilot mode. First, online auctions will be available to the authorized body on public procurement - Ministry of Finance and its committees, then we run for other users. Tentatively it will be in the first half of 2012.

According to Mr E. Parups - one of the leaders of the project "Improving the competitiveness and improving the public procurement system in Kazakhstan", first, the implementation phase, the system of electronic procurement - is cost. The state pays for the potential transparency. And only then, during the operation, decreases the amount of work and hence costs. According to European estimates, the average e-procurement system gives a 10% savings.

Within 18 months, a group of international experts funded by the European Union, has worked jointly with the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Finance to facilitate the modernization of public procurement system in Kazakhstan and increasing competitiveness, transparency and efficiency in the sector. The main objective of the EU - support the efforts of the Government of Kazakhstan with regard to improving the capacity of the national economy by enhancing the transparency and efficiency of public procurement system. The specific objective of this project is to assist agencies engaged in procurement, in particular, the Committee of financial control and public procurement reforms of public procurement.

The results of operations and plans for a nationwide training of civil servants involved in procurement have been submitted in April 2011. Proposed a document consisting of 39 recommendations to change the country's legal framework and internal regulations governing public procurement, in order to bring them into full conformity with EU norms and international standards. Education officials involved in procurement. Has developed a training program for civil servants involved in procurement throughout the country (including certificates) and in the last year has launched a pilot training program in the fields. This program will develop in the future and will be trained trainers for courses in public procurement. In addition, to support the implementation of the revised procurement procedures have been developed job aids for civil servants working in government procurement.

The level of transparency, compliance, performance, and quality of public procurement due to the application of e-GP can achieve a dimension, which does not only provide for the development of a public procurement system that meets internationally recognized standards but also establishes the basis for a sound market economy with significant gains in productivity and competitiveness. The efficiency gains due to the application of e-GP can have a clear economic impact. The total public procurement volume of a national economy typically counts for 10 to 20% of the GDP. Procuring only 10% of all public purchases through electronic means with a moderate 10% in price and cost reductions would result in total annual savings equal to one percent of the GDP.

References

1.    Gorbunov-Possadov M. INTERNET TECHNOLOGIES. Moscow-2004

2.    Kazakhstan Pravda «Savings and Transparency», № 50-51 (26471);

3.    http:/www.today.kz/ru/news/economics/