OECS Secretariat throws its support behind regional efforts to acquire the best possible standards of procurement

Castries, St. Lucia (May 25, 2010): The OECS Secretariat has assured a major regional meeting on public procurement of its full support for the best possible balanced regional system for acquiring goods and services.

The OECS Secretariat’s Pharmaceutical Procurement Service (PPS) as well as its Electronic Government Regional Integration of project (EGRIP) were among the key presenters at the first Caribbean Commonwealth Public Procurement Network’s Technical Conference which was held in Castries from May 17th to 18th 2010.

Ms. Beverly Best

Addressing delegates at the historic event, Head of the Functional Corporation Programme Management Unit at the OECS Secretariat, Ms. Beverly Best noted the urgency for further combined efforts in the region to help ensure the best possible standards of procurement.

Ms. Best added that approaches towards enhancing the collective procurement of goods and services will also lend to supporting the thrust towards establishing an OECS Economic Union.

The establishment of a chapter of the Commonwealth Public, Procurement Network within the Caribbean as well as enabling learning and sharing of country experiences for strengthening of procurement practitioners and advancing procurement reform in the Caribbean was among the key objectives of the three day high level conference taking place in Saint Lucia. The OECS Secretariat welcomed the Conference as one which marks a new milestone in the strengthening of partnerships and regional cooperation in public sector procurement, adding that the Conference is all the more historic being hosted at a time when resources are scarce and public sector reform and modernization are more important than ever.