Western Australian Govt Rolls Out New Procurement Process.

We’re always pleased to see governments reviewing their procurement processes with a view to greater transparency. The Western Australian Government has recently released a new framework, supporting their Procurement Act 2020, bringing together goods, services, and works procurement under one piece of legislation.

The changes come from a recent review of the previous procurement framework, highlighting significant difficulties in navigating the system for suppliers.

This new process is supported by the Western Australian Social Procurement Framework and prioritises the State Government’s social, economic, and environmental policies with a focus on community-based outcomes. The intention is to create more local jobs, better support WA’s regions, and improve engagement with Aboriginal businesses.

There are also provisions for a ‘debarment regime’, expected to be introduced later this year. A debarment regime essentially ensures the State Government only works with ethical suppliers and contractors. According to the framework definitions, ethical contractors are those companies who are free of bribery, misconduct of fraud charges, and those who comply with modern slavery reporting requirements. The regime will also seek out suppliers who comply with antidiscrimination, WHS, and industrial relations laws.

“The act encourages local businesses to bid on government projects by streamlining the procurement system, therefore reducing the cost attributed to procurement” -Tony Buti, WA Finance Minister.

More information can be found here.

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Photo by Felipe Simo on Unsplash