The building of a Government e-procurement platform needs strict regulations on management procedures and product quality.

It was necessary to develop an e-marketplace to develop online procurement for the Government, said experts at a workshop held on Wednesday by the Ministry of Planning and Investment, adding that focus must be placed on ensuring product quality.

Tran Phu Cuong from the Hai Phong City Department of Planning and Investment, said public procurement via an e-marketplace entailed a high level of responsibility, thus ensuring product quality of suppliers was an important issue.

“An e-marketplace must pay attention to quality control and management of suppliers,” Cuong said.

Cuong added that regulations were needed in cases where advertised products did not meet quality standards and expectations.

Hoang Minh Hieu, director of the Central Power Corporation, said that a rating function should be integrated into the platform to rate suppliers and products.

Low-rated suppliers and products could be eliminated from the platform.

A representative from Ha Tinh Province Department of Planning and Investment said the ministry should issue detailed instructions for procurement on e-Marketplace.

According to Pham Thy Hung, Director of the Public Procurement Agency, products on an e-marketplace would not be as diverse as those on normal e-commerce websites.

Hung said that suppliers would be selected carefully, adding that they must meet certain requirements to be allowed to join the e-marketplace.

“The selection of suppliers for the e-marketplace will include a strict process that considers their prestige and product quality,” he said, adding that punishments might be considered for violations.

The e-marketplace was proposed to be piloted for several products in the 2018-19 period. — VNS