A new way of buying goods in Scotland has saved taxpayers over £1m, John Swinney said today.
The Finance and Sustainable Growth Secretary was welcoming the results of Procurement Scotland, which was officially launched today.
Swinney said than an online auction last December for IT hardware for public sector bodies saved over £1.2m, compared to an earlier auction at the start of 2007.
He cited examples of savings already made, which include North Ayrshire Council bought more than 1,100 desktops and laptops and saved in excess of £150,000, Argyll Housing Association achieving savings of 56 per cent on previous PC purchases, West Lothian College saving 55 per cent on laptops and 34 per cent on desktop computers, and Grampian Fire and Rescue being able to buy laptops at 'two for the price of one'.
Procurement Scotland, initially set up and known as the National Centre of Procurement Expertise, is a core part of the Scottish Government and will implement national strategies for buying common goods and services used by the public sector, covering everything from electricity to office equipment, from paper to professional services. Public sector spending on goods and services across Scotland is around £8bn a year.
Swinney said: “I'm looking to all parts the public sector to buy wisely and make the most effective use of their resources.
“As a first demonstration of the work of Procurement Scotland, I welcome the substantial savings of up to 56 per cent, which will allow money to be reallocated to other priorities. But this is just the start. We need to drive forward reform for the whole public sector, improving collaboration and minimising duplication of effort.
“Procurement can make a significant contribution to our priority of delivering sustainable economic growth in Scotland. We must deliver benefits to the people of Scotland through value for money for taxpayers, improved goods and services for all our citizens and economic opportunities for our businesses. That is what Procurement Scotland, and other procurement centres of expertise, will do.
“The Government is keen to maximise the involvement of a broad range of businesses in the procurement process and this approach will help us achieve that aim.”
Iain McMillan, the director of CBI Scotland, welcomed the announcement.
He said: "With the state sector accounting for over half of the Scots economy, public procurement policy is not just an issue of value for money and efficiency in public services. It goes right to the heart of the debate about growing our economy.
"Maximising the opportunities for firms to sell to government and its agencies is very welcome, but the opportunity exists to go much further with the substantial purchasing power at the disposal of the devolved administration, so that a far wider range of public services are actually delivered by businesses.
"A programme of market-based reform of our public services - involving a wider range of public services being delivering by companies - would modernise and improve their performance, and make services more affordable for individual and business taxpayers. Indeed, the size and scope of its public sector provides Scotland with an opportunity to be world class in this area of policy, providing new opportunities for the growth-oriented businesses Scotland so badly needs."
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