Finance minister Fayval Williams has underscored the importance of transparency in the government’s procurement process, saying it is essential to ensuring accountability in the use of public funds.
She was speaking at the launch of the upgraded version of the government of Jamaica electronic procurement (GO-JEP) 2.0 platform.
Mrs. Williams said the platform is expected to strengthen the management of government procurement while improving transparency, accountability and access to public contracting opportunities.
The minister said procurement is a key pillar of good governance and responsible stewardship of tax payers’ money.
She noted that the state procures approximately US $3b in goods, services and works from the private sector each year.
Mrs. Williams said given the scale of that spending, transparency and a clear audit trail throughout the procurement process are critical to maintaining public confidence.