Media Release

44/2009
28 July 2009

Australian Government Procurement Statement Released

The Australian Government has today announced a package of reforms to improve and foster greater transparency in government purchasing, improve value for money for taxpayers, and achieve better outcomes for small business, jobs and the wider community.

Releasing the Australian Government Procurement Statement today, the Minister for Finance and Deregulation, Lindsay Tanner, said the Government was committed to opening up the tendering processes of government to ensure improved accountability and to help firms to compete for government contracts.

"The Australian Government is one of the largest purchasers of goods and services in the country, procuring goods and services of around $24 billion annually and helping generate jobs in communities across the nation,” Lindsay Tanner said.

"The Government is committed to continually improving the transparency of its purchasing activities so that the community knows where its dollars are spent and that business is fully informed about Commonwealth tender opportunities.”

A key component of the Australian Government Procurement Statement is the appointment of a Procurement Coordinator who will have oversight of Commonwealth procurement practices and policies.

"For too long it hasn’t been possible to get any clear sense of the purchasing practices across the more than one hundred Commonwealth departments and agencies that engage in procurement. The Coordinator will help give us a clear snapshot of what agencies are doing, and how effectively they are implementing procurement policies,

"And for the first time, members of the public will have one clear point of contact for queries or complaints about procurement practices.”

The Procurement Statement also includes information about complementary measures to help Australian firms participate in procurement opportunities announced today by the Minister for Industry, Innovation, Science and Research, Kim Carr.

In addition, it outlines steps the Government is taking to ensure government suppliers meet public expectations about their compliance with workplace laws, and support for training and apprenticeships.

The measures announced today complement recent government reforms to the Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines to improve the transparency and accountability of Australian Government procurement, including reducing the use of commercial-in-confidence provisions and requiring greater transparency around subcontracting arrangements.

Australian Government Procurement Statement [PDF 121KB]

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