Developing the participation of SMEs in public procurements

Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil represented by Dr. Wassim Mansuri sponsored the completion of a project aiming at the development of capacities of small and medium enterprises in the field of public procurements implemented by the Bassil Fleihan Institute in cooperation with the Ecole Superieure des Affaires (ESA) and the World Bank. Mansuri noted that the said-project succeeded in enhancing the skills of some 55 participants from the category of company owners and executive officers belonging to 48 SMEs in Lebanon. He underlined the current efforts to modernize and rehabilitate public procurement processes as it stimulates the reform of the public finance administration and promotes transparency, monitoring and accountability. For his part, the Regional Integration Consultant for the World Bank indicated that the present WB program is implemented in 8 countries, including Lebanon, and aims at expanding the involvement of SMEs in public procurement, given the vital role that these enterprises plays in the Arab economies. He went on to say that SMEs around the globe play an important role in creating jobs and in reducing the rate of unemployment. However, he pointed out to a number of challenges that impede SME’s participation in public procurements, mainly complicated and exorbitant tenders, and weak public procurement systems, lack of capacity and assessment benchmarks, among others. (Al Diyar, 1 July 2015)