Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 17 October 2023
In a significant initiative aimed at promoting transparent and efficient procurement processes in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a Buyers Session on Government e-Marketplace (GeM) was conducted at the Auditorium of Tagore College of Education on October 16, 2023. The event was inaugurated by Mr. C. Arvind, Secretary (Finance), and featured Mr. Ramesh Mahadevan, Business Facilitator for GeM in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as the key figure. A total of 126 officers and officials from various government departments, offices, and public sector undertakings in the Andaman and Nicobar Administration attended the session.
GeM, a revolutionary platform that was launched on August 9, 2016, aims to streamline and digitise the procurement of common-use goods and services required by government entities. It offers a completely paperless and cashless system, designed to enhance transparency, efficiency, and speed in public procurement. The platform provides various tools, including e-bidding, reverse e-auction, and demand aggregation, to assist government users in obtaining the best value for their expenditures. This procurement method has been authorised and mandated by the Ministry of Finance through the addition of Rule No. 149 in the General Financial Rules, 2017.
In the context of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, there are presently 74 primary users, 726 secondary users, 194 DDO/PAO (Drawing and Disbursing Officer/Pay and Accounts Officer), and 532 Buyers/Consignee registered on the GeM platform. Moreover, 5541 sellers, including 1641 Micro and Small Enterprises (MSE) sellers from the islands, have registered to transact on GeM.
Mr. Arvind, the Secretary of Finance, encouraged all participants to make the most of this opportunity and gain in-depth knowledge for better utilisation of the GeM platform for procurement purposes.
Following the inauguration, Mr. Ramesh Mahadevan took the floor to provide a detailed presentation on the GeM platform, highlighting its features and various procurement processes. He also discussed the latest additions to GeM for the procurement of goods and services. His comprehensive presentation aimed to ensure that all attendees had a thorough understanding of the platform’s capabilities. The session concluded with an interactive Q&A session to address any queries and concerns raised by the participants.