China to Expand Government ProcurementChina will adopt market-oriented policies to increase government procurement in a bid to promote the building of a clean government.Lu Shiguang, vice director of the Government Offices Administration of the State Council, China's cabinet, told a related group recently that more effort will be made to select and train a contingent of professionals for government procurement. The Government Offices Administration was authorized by the State Council in 1998 to take charge of government procurement. Since then, it has organized 40 public bidding's for government procurement, involving cars, computers, boilers, elevators, photo- copiers, furniture, and building materials. "The procurements have cost some 700 million yuan (US$84.34 million), and saved 84 million as a result of public bidding," Lu said. The administration is currently deciding whether to expand government procurement to include services as well as commodities, the official said. Provincial governments have also begun to practice government procurement. |
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