Page 21 - Sept-2020-Issue

ARTICLE

inputs for manufacturing of
stores required during COVID-19
pandemic on ab-initio single ten-
der. OFB also delegated Financial
Powers for Procurement of medi-
cines & health care related goods
against ab-initio single tender
to its field units for Covid-19
pandemic. Ministry of Defence
also resorted to specific emer-
gency procurement powers for
Pandemic COVID applicable to
Services in addition to emergen-
cy powers for services based on
threat perception and deficiency
of critical arms and ammunition.
• Use of Positive Lists of iden- all perennial import items along
tified suppliers: for best with timely formulation of rel- Capacity enhancement for
competition. evant standards and implementa- new age governance

• Division of quantities based tion. ‘The priority should not be The country is already on the
on capacity and delivery to invest in the hardware but in- right path through the most pow-
schedules: for early deliveries vest and create software so as to erful procurement tool developed
through multiple resources. effectively handle the situation in by the nation for public procure-
the time of need’. ment i.e Government –e- Market
• Incentives for early deliveries: (GeM). All ministries and field
An incentive for better perfor- ofB & emergency offices have started incrementally
mance as well as better provi- resorting to e-proc systems which
sion of goods and services to procurement ensure best of transparency and
the affected masses. OFB being an attached organisa-
tion of Department of Defence integrity of the process followed
Production, Ministry of Defence with auditing provisions as per
OFB has first-hand experience international standards. What
of many such situations be it a has been working to deal with the needs to be done is preparation
case of Chennai Floods in the issues connected to emergency of National Directory of Vendors
procurement. OFB Procurement
Dec 2015 or the recent example for various category items and
of COVID handled closely by Manual 2018 has been aligned strengthening of GeM for COTS
authors wherein OFB played a with GFR-2017, MPG-2017, DPM- items. Tool kit of emergency pro-
pivotal role in not only develop- 2009, DPP-2016, CVC Guidelines, curement for various product and
ing self-sufficiency for produc- CAG observations, other relevant services required during clas-
Govt. Notifications & Guidelines.
tion and testing of PPE kits but sified emergencies like Natural
also did hand holding of Textile It also contains provisions that in Disasters, Pandemic situations
industry through knowledge a case of emergency, any required and War emergency etc. covering
sharing acquired by OFB through goods may be purchased from a disaster, relief and post disaster
SIDM and CII. Thus, there is a particular source (STE), subject to requirements need to be made
the reason for such decision be-
need to document learnings from readily available enabled by a
the past experiences and imple- ing recorded and approval of the trigger mechanism for invok-
mentation. Self- reliance obvi- competent authority. ing the emergency procedures.
ously is the key to handle disas- To deal with COVID -19 and sup- Such measures shall go a long
ter situations and preparedness. port the nation, OFB enhanced way in capacity enhancement
Another key step for minimizing the financial powers at least and preparedness of the nation to
procurement under emergency is four times for General Managers withstand emergency situations
to have an indigenization plan for of the various units to procure efficiently.

K aleid O scope September , 2020 21 21
Kaleidoscope September, 2020