Topics Covered:
- Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance, e-applications, models, successes, limitations and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures.
Government e Marketplace (GeM)
What to study?
For Prelims: About GeM and it’s features.
For Mains: Significance and the need for GeM.
Context: The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Federal Bank to offer various services.
Significance: The MoU will facilitate a cashless, paperless and transparent payment system on the portal and would create an efficient procurement system for government entities.
About GeM:
What is it? GeM is a state-of-the-art national public procurement platform of Ministry of Commerce and Industries, that has used technology to remove entry barriers for bonafide sellers and has created a vibrant e-marketplace with a wide range of goods and services.
Aim: GeM aims to enhance transparency, efficiency and speed in public procurement.
GeM facilities:
- Listing of products for individual, prescribed categories of Goods/ Services of common use.
- Look, estimate, compare and buying facility on dynamic pricing basis.
- Market place buying of majority of common User Items.
- Buying Goods and Services online, as and when required.
- Transparency and ease of buying.
- Useful for low value buying and also for bulk buying at competitive price using Reverse Auction/ e-bidding.
- Continuous vendor rating system.
- Return policy.
Benefits of GeM:
- Enhances transparency.
- Increased efficiency.
- Secure and safe.
- Savings to the government.
Sources: pib.