Rustenburg: The North West Provincial Treasury, in partnership with National Treasury convened a Central Supplier Database (CSD) Users workshop to strengthen the capacity of Supply Chain Management (SCM) officials from provincial departments, public entities and municipalities in the Bojanala and Dr Kenneth Kaunda districts.
The CSD serves as a central source of supplier information for organs of state.
The engagement focused on recent changes to the CSD, common supplier registration and verification challenges, the management of CSD user access, and measures through which SCM officials can provide suppliers with more accurate and consistent assistance.
The Provincial Chief Procurement Officer, Adv. Thomas Sekoboane, said the workshop is part of Provincial Treasury’s continuing efforts to strengthen SCM administration while improving the support available to suppliers. He explained that the accuracy and verification of information recorded on the database is important for the effective administration of public procurement processes.
“Suppliers should be able to receive informed and consistent assistance when they experience challenges on the Central Supplier Database. By strengthening the knowledge and troubleshooting capacity of SCM officials, system challenges can be detected earlier, direct unresolved matters to the appropriate institutions and minimise avoidable administrative delays,” he said.
Among the matters addressed during the workshop were challenges relating to tax information, banking details, supplier profile maintenance, system access and the verification of supplier information. For suppliers, improved CSD support means that problems involving tax information, banking details and other supplier records can be identified and referred on time. It can also reduce instances in which suppliers move between different institutions without receiving clear guidance on the origin of a problem or the steps required to resolve it.
Sekoboane also said that the workshop also sought to promote consistency in the guidance provided to suppliers across provincial departments, public entities and municipalities. He said suppliers will benefit from dealing with SCM officials who are better equipped to explain CSD requirements, identify common profile and verification problems, and use the appropriate escalation channels when matters require the intervention of National Treasury, the South African Revenue Service or financial institutions.
“A responsive supplier-support environment depends on officials understanding both the system and the respective responsibilities of the institutions involved. This workshop is therefore not only about technical knowledge. It is about ensuring that public institutions are better positioned to assist suppliers while protecting the integrity, accountability and efficiency of government procurement processes,” he concluded.
End.
Issued by North West Provincial Treasury. For more information contact: Media Liaison Officer Lesedi Makhubela 062 103 2798 and Head of Communication Ms. Kesalopa Gill on 018-3881363/2319.