TUNIS - The Tunisian e-procurement system (TUNEPS) was launched Tuesday in Tunis, TAP news agency journalist noted.
The start of this project concerns in first stage nine pilot sites, including four Ministries namely the Prime Ministry, the Ministries of Education, Information and Communication Technologies and Equipment and 5 public enterprises (Tunisian Electricity and Gas Company (STEG), the Tunisian post, National Sanitation Board (ONAS), Urban Renewal and Rehabilitation Agency (ARRU), National Water Exploitation and Distribution Company (SONEDE).
In a second stage, It will be generalised to other public procurers.
TUNEPS is funded by a donation worth 5.7 million dollars, granted by the Korea International Co-operation Agency (KOICA) to Tunisia as part of a co-operation project concluded since 2008.
On the occasion of launching the system, Mr.Ridha Abdelhafidh, Secretary-General of the Government stressed the importance of the economic role of e-procurement in Tunisia, especially as public demand evolves along with the growth pace and represent some 15% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
This project will help strengthen the foundations of e-administration in Tunisia and anchor the principles of good management of public procurements to guarantee transparency of transactions, equality of chances and competition in addition to compressing costs.
TUNEPS was co-achieved by the Korean specialised enterprise Samsung SDS and several Tunisian enterprises.
According to Secretary of State for Finance Slim Besbes e-procurement system will give further efficiency and transparency to the public procurements with a better management of public funding in Tunisia, since "public spending necessarily goes through public procurements".
He said that the project will spare no effort to "incite job creation and bolster investments".
© Tunis-Afrique Presse 2013
