This would boost Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP) by US$6.7bil or 7% to US$96.4bil from US$89.7bil and lower its fiscal deficit by nearly US$1bil or 16% to US$4.4bil from US$5.2bil, it said, extrapolating 2000 Asian Development Bank figures for the country.
The white paper was a proposition prepared in conjunction with global supply management solutions firm FreeMarkets Inc and the International Association of e-Government Professionals on how e-sourcing could be applied and implemented to make the public sectors of the five most developed Asean countries – Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand – more efficient.
The report found that substantial savings could be made in all five countries through e-sourcing, with the greatest benefits expected in Indonesia with likely annual savings of up to US$2.1bil. It would boost total GDP figures for all five countries by between 5% and 7%.
The application is expected to lower the need for borrowings by some US$3.7bil in total, and contribute to smaller budget deficits for all countries except Singapore, which has a budget surplus. The latter’s surplus would be further boosted by another US$643mil to US$9.9bil, from US$9.3bil, it said.
Although e-government initiatives sometimes lacked tangible financial benefits, the same was not true for e-sourcing, said the paper. Its success could be measured easily in the form of return on investments (ROI) and lower spending and processing costs. The paper also includes a proposal for competitive bidding events, popularly known as reverse auctions, to be incorporated in the overall e-souring programme as a means to improve overall transparency of government tenders.
“(Reverse auctions) can have demonstrable economic and budgetary benefits for Asean countries, while promoting transparency and opportunity in the public acquisition process,” it added.
US-Asean Business Council president Ernest Z. Bower said the release of the white paper followed its presentation to the finance ministers of Asean, who were here to attend a regional meeting.
He said governments in Asean were starting to be interested in e-sourcing after it had proven successful in reducing costs for countries like the US. It would improve efficiency, increase transparency in the award of government contracts, and open up opportunities for small- and medium-scale firms as suppliers, he said.
“Asean needs to be cost competitive and drive efficiency into their sourcing and procurement systems. The (public) sector can be a leader in reducing costs, adding value and spurring innovation to maintain business profitability,” said Bower.
Autor: K.P. Lee
Quelle: The Star, 08.08.2003
