PS-DBM suspends procurement of non-common use supplies, equipment

MANILA, Philippines — The Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has suspended the procurement of non-common use supplies and equipment (Non-CSE) for government agencies until further notice.

“I issued a directive suspending the procurement of non-common use supplies and equipment, effective immediately,” PS-DBM Executive Director Dennis Santiago said in a statement on Tuesday.

While the suspension is in effect, PS-DBM will not accept requests for non-CSE procurement.

“This will allow us to focus on the fulfillment of our primary mandate, which is to procure CSEs,” Santiago said.

The PS-DBM is the centralized procurement of common-use office supplies, materials, and equipment for the whole government.

Common-use supplies and equipment include items essential to the day-to-day operations of government agencies such as, but not limited to, ball pens, papers, staplers, paper clips, folders, and the like.

“Tatapusin na lamang po ‘yung procurement ng mga non-CSE na ongoing o nasa pipeline na hanggang sa sila’y makumpleto. Pero hanggang doon na lang po iyon. Pagkatapos noon, wala na. Lahat ng procurement, CSE na lang,” Santiago said.

(We will only finish the ongoing non-CSE procurement in the pipeline. After that, all procurement will only focus on CSE.)

The suspension of non-CSE procurement comes amid the issue of the Department of Education’s purchase of alleged “pricey and outdated” laptops for teachers for distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PS-DBM earlier said it had sought the assistance of the National Bureau of Investigation, turning over documents related to the procurement of the DepEd laptops.

READ:  PS-DBM turns over to NBI examined documents on purchased laptops 

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