Speaking at the event held by the Public Procurement Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Nguyen Thanh Tuan from the agency introduced the government procurement adjustments in the TPP, goods and services that need to be procured and the prices of bidding packages. He also analysed differences in selecting bidders before and after the deal takes effect.

Michael Trueblood, director of Usaid’s Economic Growth and Governance Office, said Usaid was assisting Vietnam in reforming its policies on government procurement.

USAID expert Mai Lam said the TPP was the first free trade agreement where Vietnam had made commitments on government procurement, noting the government procurement agency would face difficulty in selecting bidders for bidding packages that properly observe the TPP requirements. To improve effectiveness in government procurement, Lam said Vietnam needs to study and then provide its bidders with information on the government procurement market of other TPP countries.

It is necessary to conduct a survey on the capability of Vietnamese bidders and to build trade promotion programmes to boost Vietnam’s exports via the government procurement channels, he added.

Jean Heilman Grier, an international consultant, said when joining the TPP, Vietnam needs to recommend common requirements and principles as well as specific regulations and guidelines to be included in sub-law documents.

The country should also detail bidding requirements, including international commitments on bidding, he added.

Grier also recommended Vietnam revise Decree 63/2015/ND-CP on selecting bidders and focus on preferential programmes for small- and medium-enterprises, form independent arbitration agencies, disseminate the TPP government procurement commitments and issue tight regulations to avoid conflicts of interest and to prevent corruption.