UK Government to probe purchasing delays

02 Dec 2010

Source: Supply Management
The UK government is to investigate the causes of delay in the procurement process in a bid to boost Britain’s growth.
The government is seeking a more competitive and transparent procurement system and will conduct a “lean study” to consider purchasing delays, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills announced yesterday.

It said bureaucratic hurdles threaten healthy competition and economic growth. Its paper, The path to strong, sustainable and balanced growth said: “Public spending also shapes markets through government’s role as a procurer. The current system leaves businesses wasting too much time on form-filling and searching for contracts. It works against a competitive market by locking dynamic and innovative SMEs out of many government contracts.”

The paper said it will also “support public sector bodies, where relevant and cost-effective, to promote skills training and apprenticeships in procurement”.

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