- Commerce and Industry Minister has asked officials of the Government e-Marketplace(GeM) to simplify the public procurement portal’s procedures.
- The government aims to achieve Rs 1 lakh crore in GeM’s gross merchandise volume in 2019-20.
- The minister has suggested measures such as (a)incentives for ministries procuring products and services through GeM (b)bringing in technical experts for specialised products and (c)creating more categories to maximise usage of the portal.
- The minister has also requested all ministries and government departments to nominate a Joint Secretary-level officer to coordinate with GeM and identify more products and services that may be procured through the platform.
- Government e Marketplace is an online marketplace setup in 2016 for procurement of commonly used goods and services by government ministries,departments and CPSEs.It aims to enhance transparency, efficiency and speed in public procurement.
- GeM has been envisaged as National Procurement Portal of India.It functions under Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D),Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
- GeM is a completely paperless,cashless and system driven e-marketplace that enables procurement of commonly used goods and services with minimal human interface.
