SENIOR Deputy Speaker and Pampanga Third District Rep. Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr. has proposed cutting the procurement procedure in government from 72 to 27 days.

His proposal is contained in House Bill 7944, also referred to as the “Ang Bagong Pilipinas Government Procurement Reform Act.”

The measure was brought up by the House committee on revision of laws, led by Manila Rep. Edward Maceda, in a meeting before Congress adjourned sine die last week.

Gonzales said on Monday the government procurement system must be streamlined to eliminate recurrent setbacks in the acquisition of products and services, as well as the awarding and implementation of infrastructure projects such as roads, expressways and school buildings.

He said the huge increase in government expenditures since 2003, when Republic Act 9184 or the “Government Procurement Reform Act” was established, poses a threat to amending the law.

Infrastructure expenditure alone has increased more than tenfold, from P121 billion out of a P609 billion national budget 20 years ago to P1.311 trillion out of a P5.268 trillion outlay this year, he added.

Gonzales proposed shortening the procurement process to 27 calendar days, beginning with the publication of the invitation to bid and ending with the posting of the notice of award and notice to continue with the authorized contract.

“This could be done by doing away with post-qualification as it is a duality to the requirement of pre-qualification. The delay in post-qualification is usually due to the agency’s lack of manpower, the distance of the location of the project, and the limited expertise of the contractor,” he said.

Gonzales called for the establishment of full-time bids and awards committees, whose secretariats should be permitted to receive bids and other procurement papers, a duty they do not currently have under the legislation.

His reform initiatives, he claims, “are structured around the principles of economic efficiency, transparency, competitiveness, and fairness.”

“They will have a huge impact in addressing delays in the procurement process. Most importantly, they will further improve the timelines of the completion of projects by the entire government and their use and enjoyment by our people,” he said.