The McGowan Government will introduce new procurement legislation today to slash red tape for businesses wanting to work with Government and to assist with the State's economic recovery.
The Procurement Bill 2020 will provide a simpler procurement framework for all Government departments and agencies, and will help accelerate the State's economic recovery post the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new Act, which will replace the State Supply Commission Act 1991, will:
- Streamline tender processes and documents across Government to make it easier for business to work with Government;
- Simplify procurement processes for Government to support the objectives of the Western Australian Jobs Act 2017 and the McGowan Government's Plan for Jobs;
- Improve flexibility to apply economic and social policy objectives across all areas of procurement;
- Encourage innovative opportunities with industry and other areas outside of Government through new and more flexible procurement opportunities, and;
- Improve the integrity of public sector procurement with greater audit and investigation powers.
The new Act was developed following the Service Priority Review and the Special Inquiry into Government Programs and Projects, which both identified the current procurement framework as complex, fragmented and inefficient, causing frustration to small and local businesses.
Hundreds of stakeholders were consulted in the development of the new procurement framework. For more information on the Procurement Bill 2020, visit: https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-finance/procurement-reform
As stated by Finance Minister Ben Wyatt:
"This new legislation will provide a modern, efficient and accountable procurement framework for Government to deliver services for Western Australians.
"Importantly, it makes it easier for WA businesses to work with Government so we can support local jobs and our State's economic recovery post the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The new framework will support the objectives of the Western Australian Jobs Act 2017 and our Plan for Jobs, by streamlining the procurement system to implement co-ordinated and consistent social, economic and sustainable policy outcomes across Government.
"The current framework legislation was found by both the Service Priority Review and the Special Inquiry into Government Programs and Projects to be fragmented, inefficient and outdated, highlighting the importance of this new Act."
