The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Sherry Gambin-Walsh, Minister Responsible for the Public Procurement Agency:
Mr. Speaker, recognizing the important role that business and industry play in driving our province’s economy, our government introduced a new Public Procurement Act in November 2016. As of March 24, most of the act is now in effect, while provisions on supplier debriefs, complaints and supplier performance come into effect on September 24.
The Procurement Act modernizes the purchasing process, and gives public bodies more flexibility in choosing the procurement method that will achieve the greatest value by removing barriers to requests for proposals and other alternatives to public tenders. It includes measures that will help local companies play a larger role in the growth and development of all regions of the province.
Local suppliers will also realize benefits through increased opportunities to bid on government services that were once excluded from procurement legislation. The new framework increases transparency and allows public bodies more opportunity to hold suppliers accountable for their performance. An increase in thresholds provides greater opportunity for acquisitions to be sourced locally within Newfoundland and Labrador.
Mr. Speaker, some key elements of the former Public Tender Act have been moved to the new regulations, which are online, so government can be creative and flexible in its procurement approach. The new act and regulations promote consistency and coordination across the public sector and will help reduce regulatory burden.
The Procurement Act is an example of how our government is listening and responding to the needs of business, industry and social enterprise in our province. We will continue to work with stakeholders to develop policy within the current framework.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.