PUTRAJAYA: Weaknesses in the government’s procurement process are largely due to non-compliance with established procedures, despite the Finance Ministry having introduced flexibility to facilitate procurement matters, says Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar (pic).
The Chief Secretary to the Government said the irregularities were not entirely due to shortcomings in the system, but also because Procurement Board Committee members and officers lack understanding of procurement procedures.
“The Finance Ministry has provided considerable flexibility in the procurement process, but it is still imperative that every procurement procedure is strictly adhered to.
“Procurement cannot be arranged or manipulated at will. What is crucial is that members of the board fully understand the procedures,” Shamsul Azri said, Bernama reported.
Asked whether the issue was caused by weak oversight or shortcomings in standard operating procedures, he said it could be due to a combination of several factors.
