The government has established an inter-agency review committee as one of the reform initiatives to take government procurement to a sustainable track, the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) said.
In a statement yesterday, the PS-DBM said the government is on track in its pursuit to implement Green Public Procurement (GPP) with the convening of an Inter-Agency Technical Specifications Review Committee (IATSRC).
The IATSRC will assess, review and evaluate existing common-use supplies and equipment technical specifications to adhere to and comply with local and international standards — taking into account the environmental, social and economic aspects of public acquisition, alongside Sustainable Development Goal 12 on Responsible Consumption and Production.
Under a GPP regime, the government shall procure goods and services with reduced environmental impact throughout their life cycle.
“GPP provides opportunity for government agencies to infuse environmental friendly parameters and requirements in the products that we procure, and in the process avoid the use of toxic substances; prioritize alternative green materials; reduce energy and water consumption during use; and recycle at the end of the useful life of the product,” Executive Director Dennis Santiago said.
“Green procurement is responsible procurement. Integrating green choices in public procurement puts us closer to our ultimate goal of ensuring sustainable management and use of natural resources by 2030,” Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said.
Apart from PS-DBM, members of the IATSRC include the departments of Environment and Natural Resources, Trade and Industry, Science and Technology, Information and Communications Technology, and Energy.
