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PPS to help SMEs enter global procurement markets
Public Procurement Service (PPS) Administrator Jung Moo-kyung, right, poses with Christian Saunders, assistant secretary-general for Supply Chain Management at U.N. Department of Operational Support (UNDOS) at the United Nations Secretariat Building in New York, May 8 (local time). Courtesy of PPS
By Lee Kyung-min
By Lee Kyung-min
The Public Procurement Service (PPS) plans to boost cooperation with international organizations to help local small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) enter the international procurement market, the state-run organization said Monday.
During his two-day trip to New York from May 8, PPS Administrator Jung Moo-kyung met with Christian Saunders, assistant secretary-general for Supply Chain Management at the U.N. Department of Operational Support (UNDOS).
The two agreed to discuss ways to cooperate further in helping Korean firms find more opportunities with U.N.-commissioned procurement projects, including in the ICT, security and defense sectors.
Jung had a separate meeting with Andrew Reese, a senior portfolio manager at United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), and stressed Korea's competent, innovation-oriented procurement service.
Cooperation will be strengthened in June as a Korean office of UNOPS is scheduled to be set up in either Seoul or Songdo, Incheon.
Jung signed a memorandum of understanding with IDB Institutions for Development Department Manager Moises J. Schwartz, to foster exchange programs between the PPS and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) on e-procurement training.
They also discussed ways to help Central and South American countries adopt a Korean e-procurement system, Korea ONline E-procurement System (KONEPS).
“We will organize various events to help local firms enter the largely untapped market including consultation sessions,” a PPS official said.
“A comprehensive service will be launched to help SMEs enter bids with U.N.-commissioned procurement projects. We will offer consultations on writing bidding proposals to help them win the bid.”
It will give support to market research teams comprised of SME officials that will be dispatched overseas to review the viability and feasibility of their business plans.
The plan will take shape soon, as the joint team comprised of officials from the PPS and foreign ministry as well as the heads of private firm has returned to Korea after meeting with high-ranking officials of the United Nations and IDB.
Meanwhile, nine heads of private companies held one-on-one meetings with officials of the U.N. Development Program (UNDP) and gave a presentation.
The PPS will seek talks to broaden joint project opportunities with other U.N. bodies including U.N. International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF).