Public Procurement Advanced Training and Policy Dialogue Sessions

In 2017, the Government of Thailand amended their law and promulgated a new Government Procurement and Supplies Management Act to promote a more efficient public expenditure. The act is currently being revised by the Thai legislative with the contribution of the CGD.

The International Trade Centre organized a series of virtual Public Procurement Advanced Training and Policy Dialogue sessions  with the Comptroller General Department (CGD) of Thailand.

The training series aims to  highlight  practices from around the world to support CGD officers in their daily work, as well as in their contribution to the 2017 Act revision. The first part of the training focused on effective management of public procurement appeals system, including possible measures and initiatives necessary to deter frivolous appeals and ensure overall sustainability of the system.

“The training dialogue brings lots of different perspectives and insights from relevant jurisdictions, both in terms of managing and dealing with appeal problems. It is interesting to see that the same problems are faced in different jurisdictions and that there are several approaches to solve them.

 This is helpful for future amendment and development of laws and policies on public procurement the CGD is contributing to” summarizes Ratchanee Duangrapruen, Director for Appeals and Complaints at the CGD.

“Public procurement is a significant policy tool, which governments can use to promote changes in public service delivery and stimulate private sector growth. A well-functioning public procurement system increases confidence, in particular by creating a level playing field for SMEs” explains Dr. Mohammad Saeed, Chief, Trade Facilitation and Policy for Business at the International Trade Centre (ITC) in his opening remarks

Sessions were led by prominent international experts including top-level academics and practitioners in the field.

The project will provide technical assistance to officials from CGD, which will then be further enlarged to relevant stakeholders in the procurement process within the Thai government and judiciary.

About the project 

The ARISE Plus Thailand project supports inclusive and sustainable trade growth in Thailand, while contributing to regional ASEAN economic integration. One of the specific objectives of the project is to contribute to improving the efficiency and service delivery of public expenditure. To this end, this activity supports the enhanced capacity of CGD for the application of the public procurement framework, in accordance with international standards.

The three-year project is funded by the European Union (EU) and part of its national ARISE Plus projects portfolio to support greater connectivity and economic integration in ASEAN.

The project is implemented jointly with the Government of Thailand, in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce (MOC), through the Department of Trade Negotiations (DTN). Partners for project implementation include the Office for Trade Competition Commission (OTCC), the Comptroller General Department (CGD), the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC), and the National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards (ACFS).