AMID audit findings flagging its alleged questionable purchases, the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) yesterday announced it is suspending until further notice its procurement of non-common use supplies and equipment (NCSEs), or items that are bought for specific government programs and projects.
In a statement, PS-DBM Executive Director Dennis Santiago said once all pending non-CSE purchases are completed, they will no longer accept procurement requests from government agencies.
“I (have) issued a directive suspending the procurement of non-common use supplies and equipment, effective immediately. During the suspension, the PS-DBM shall not accept new requests for non-CSE procurement until further notice. This will allow us to focus on the fulfillment of our primary mandate, which is to procure CSEs,” Santiago said.
“Tatapusin na lamang po ‘yung procurement ng mga non-CSE na ongoing o nasa pipeline na hanggang sa sila’y makumpleto. Pero hanggang doon na lang po iyon. Pagkatapos noon, wala na. Lahat ng procurement, CSE na lang (we will just finish the procurement of non-CSE items that are ongoing or are still in the pipeline until they are completed. But it would end there. After that, none will follow. All procurements will just be for CSEs,” he added.
The PS-DBM oversees the centralized procurement of CSEs for the whole of government.
CSEs, or common use supplies and equipment, include items that are essential to the day-to-day operations of government agencies such as, but not limited to, ballpens, papers, stapler, paper clips, folders, and the like.
Santiago’s directive came at the heels of controversies hounding the PS-DBM, the latest of which is the Commission on Audit’s flagging down of the purchase of P2.4 billion worth of “outdated and pricey” laptops for the Department of Education.
The laptops were purchased in 2021 for the use of public schoolteachers as part of the implementation of distance learning online classes amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
The laptops were bought at P58,300 which resulted in the purchase of 39,583 units instead of the original target of 68,500 units.