Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Currently, large-scale reforms in the field of public finance are implemented in the country. The public procurement system is among these significant areas.

Public procurement is not only an instrument of economic regulation, but also an important factor in developing a business, attracting investment, ensuring transparency in the use of budget funds as well as eradicating corruption.

In accordance with the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated December 5, 2019 No.4544 “On measures to further improve the public procurement system and the wide involvement of business entities in the public procurement process ” starting from April 2020, electronic procedures for the implementation of tender and competitive bidding in the field of public procurement will be introduced in order to ensure the targeted spending of state customers funds and increase their efficiency, attract business entities by introducing new digital technologies in public procurement

In order to timely implement the Presidential Decree, introduce information and communication technologies in the field of public procurement, increase the level of competition among electronic public procurement operators, a new information system for an electronic tender (competition) for budget and corporate procurement has been developed.

This electronic system is not inferior to advanced foreign counterparts, surpassing most of them in terms of process automation and a function that allows to conduct tender and competitive bidding remotely, which is extremely important in the context of the COVID - 19 coronavirus epidemic.

In accordance with the legislation of the republic, the system ensures the holding of competitions and tenders using the score method and the lowest price method. Customers are given the opportunity to independently select one of the two recognized assessment methods in the world, determine the criteria by which the proposals of the applicants will be evaluated, the relative values ​​of the criteria (each of which can give a different score, depending on the importance of a particular indicator for customers). Criteria based on quantitative indicators (number of specialists, work experience in the market, price, delivery time, etc.) will be evaluated by the system independently, exclusively in an automatic mode, without involving human resources. Qualitative (expert) criteria will be evaluated by members of the tender commission, who can work remotely in an online mode.

Particular attention in the development of the system was paid to ensuring transparency and competition in tenders, combating corruption, conflicts of interest and other offenses.

The introduction of the electronic competition and tender system will improve our indicators as regards to creating favorable conditions for doing business( Doing Business) and fulfill the recommendations of the OECD international organization within the framework of the Istanbul Anti-Corruption Action Plan.

Currently, the Ministry of Finance is developing a schedule for the gradual transition of tender and competitive bidding of all budget and corporate customers into digital form.

The Ministry of Finance is closely cooperating in the implementation of electronic forms of tendering and public procurement with the joint venture XT - XARID TEXNOLOGIYALARI and the Uzbek Commodity Exchange, as well as in studying foreign experience and further improving electronic procurement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.