SUNDAY, JUNE 20, 1982
MORE LOCAL PURCHASES THAN EVER BY GOVERNMENT
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THE GOVERNMENT SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT HAS ENTERED ITS 40TH YEAR THIS YEAR WITH TWO MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS: ITS PURCHASES HAVE MORE THAN DOUBLED COMPARED WITH LAST YEAR'S FIGURES, TOPPING THE BILLION-DOLLAR MARK, AND A MAJOR PHASE OF ITS STOCK CONTROL COMPUTERISATION PROGRAMME HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
PURCHASES AMOUNTED TO $1.883 BILLION FOR THE LAST FISCAL YEAR, AGAINST THE $931 MILLION IN 1980/81.
THIS YEAR'S PURCHASES ARE LIKELY TO INCREASE BY ANOTHER 29 PER CENT.
THE DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT SUPPLIES, MR R. KILVERT, EXPLAINED THAT 70 PER CENT (IN VALUE) OF THE DEPARTMENT'S STORE HAVE BEEN COMPUTERISED UNDER A PROGRAMME BEGUN IN 1976 TO INTRODUCE DATA PROCESSING TO IMPROVE ALL PHASES OF THE DEPARTMENT'S OPERATIONS.
+THE MULTIPLICITY OF ACTIVITIES THE DEPARTMENT HAS TO GET INVOLVED WITH NOWADAYS HAS LITTLE RESEMBLANCE TO ITS EARLIER DAYS WHEN IT WAS NOT MUCH MORE THAN A POST BOX ROUTING MOST OF GOVERNMENT STORE REQUIREMENTS TO CROWN AGENTS IN LONDON. LOCAL PURCHASES WERE THEN RESTRICTED TO THE PURCHASE OF VERY BASIC LOCALLY MANUFACTURED ITEMS, INCLUDING THOSE MADE IN CHINA, +
+THE PRESENT DAY GSD IS CERTAINLY A LOT MORE THAN JUST A SUPER GODOWN, CONTRARY TO WHAT SOME PEOPLE THOUGHT, ADDED MR KILVERT, WHO JOINED THE DEPARTMENT IN 1951.
IN 1980/81, SOME 81 000 ITEMS VALUED AT A MONTHLY AVERAGE VALUE OF $71 MILLION WERE HELD IN UNALLOCATED STOCK BUT DELIVERY FOR A REQUISITION WAS EFFECTED WITHIN 10 WORKING DAYS.
ON AVERAGE, DELIVERIES OF MORE THAN 44 000 ITEMS WERE MADE EACH MONTH BY THE DEPARTMENT, WHICH HAS A FLEET OF 25 LORRIES.
THE WORKLOAD HANDLED BY ITS TRANSPORTATION SECTIONS IN THE WHOLE YEAR EXCEEDED 13 420 LORRY-LOADS, IN ADDITION TO 2 200 LORRY-LOADS UNDERTAKEN BY COMMERCIAL CONTRACTORS. IT IS ALSO ANTICIPATED THAT THE WORKLOAD WILL INCREASE AT A RATE OF ABOUT 7.5 PER CENT PER ANNUM.
TO COPE WITH THIS CONSTANT FLOW OF SUPPLY, THE DEPARTMENT HAS TO CONCERN ITSELF NOT ONLY WITH STORAGE AND DISTRIBUTION BUT ALSO WITH FORECASTING DEMAND AND ARRANGING FOR THE NECESSARY PROCUREMENTS IN THE MOST ECONOMICAL AND RELIABLE MANNER.
AS A GENERAL RULE, PURCHASE CONTRACTS ARE LET AS A RESULT OF COMPETITION BY TENDER.
IN THE CASE OF BUYING THROUGH OPEN PUBLIC TENDER, INVITATIONS TO TENDER ARE PUBLISHED IN THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE AND THE LEADING ENGLISH AND CHINESE NEWSPAPERS.