Yi Whan-woo is a Korea Times journalist primarily covering finance. He writes in-depth articles on macroeconomy and financial markets and previously covered sports, politics, diplomacy and inter-Korean affairs, among others. Feel free to contact him at yistory@koreatimes.co.kr.
Procurement office pushes to make inroads into Central Asia
Public Procurement Service (PPS) Vice Administrator Baek Seung-bo, second from left, joins a ribbon-cutting ceremony at a national hospital for rehabilitative care of children during his visit to Kazakhstan, May 20. Courtesy of PPS
By Yi Whan-woo
The Public Procurement Service (PPS) is pushing to enhance its presence in Central Asia and pave the way for Korean private companies to explore business opportunities in the regional public sector.
The PPS said Monday a delegation led by Vice Administrator Baek Seung-bo last week visited Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, where Korea-made goods and software were provided as samples to the government as well as public organizations in each country.
The participating entities from the three Central Asian countries worked in public health, medical care, road transport, logistics, urban governance and others.
The PPS accordingly procured in advance Korean companies' goods and software that may interest these entities.
“This overseas showcase of the Korea-made products was to let overseas public institutions get to know about their quality and performance by trying them for free,” the PPS said.
The PPS noted that a range of government-led industries are growing rapidly in Central Asia, and therefore, “strategic support is crucial for Korean companies to expand in the regional procurement market.”
“And we will faithfully serve as a bridge between the private sector in Korea and the public sector in Central Asia,” it added.
Kazakhstan was the first destination in the Baek-led delegation’s three-country trip from May 19 to 23.
The delegation met local officials from May 19 to 20 as they visited a national hospital dedicated to rehabilitative care for children, a road maintenance cooperation tasked with managing a ring road and a water management company.
The two sides discussed cooperation on innovative Korean products and their exports, especially concerning areas in robot-assisted rehabilitation, road safety management and deodorization.
The delegates moved to Tajikistan, where they, on May 22, met the deputy mayor of Dushanbe, the country’s capital, the chairman of the state committee on investment and property management and the top police officer on traffic management.
The municipal government of Dushanbe is working on a smart city network to manage urban infrastructure using artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced technologies.
The delegation went to Kyrgyzstan, meeting officials from the finance and health ministries on May 23 to consult for cooperation on exports of innovative items and digital technology-driven medical care.
After wrapping up the five-day visit, Baek assessed that showcasing Korean products is “a reliable way that can directly lead to export opportunities once parties of interest are convinced about quality and performance.”
“In that regard, the PPS will continue to expand scale of the overseas showcase project and help Korean companies to reach all procurement markets across the world,” he added.
The PPS operates under the wing of the Ministry of Economy and Finance and is responsible for procuring goods and services for all state-run organizations.