With its sights set on bringing the contracting processes with the State closer to citizens and from there also promoting the popular economy, the National Public Contracting Agency – Colombia Compra Eficiente, closes 2024 with a balance that for them is positive, but it does not take away from the fact that there are challenges to overcome.
In dialogue with Portafolio, Cristóbal Padilla, director of this entity, stated that the closing accounts for this year highlight that progress was made on fronts such as data sovereignty and training thousands of Colombians on the processes to learn about the Government’s offers. National and territorial entities, as well as in strengthening transparency and open data processes.
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“We close with something that interests us a lot and that is the opening of public purchasing to the people. We have launched the route to democratization that has covered some 18 departments to teach the Colombian people how to contract with the State. But at the same time we are creating a pedagogy that breaks the access barriers that economies and suppliers of the popular economy have not had”he said.
For this official, the entity is moving forward based on what was proposed in the National Development Plan, highlighting that they have fully complied with it. However, he recognizes that Secop continues to be an obstacle, due to the complexity with which it operates and the requirements it demands, which is why they will work on its modernization.
Cristóbal Padilla, director of the National Public Procurement Agency – Colombia Efficient Purchase.
Courtesy – API
This is why it announced that by 2025 the update of the Electronic System for Public Procurement will be carried out, which will mark a milestone in the modernization of the management of state procurement in Colombia.
“This new platform, designed with advanced technology and focused on efficiency, will allow an approximate 25% reduction in operating costs, strengthening the sustainability and optimization of public resources. In addition, it will promote a more transparent environment, safe and accessible for all actors in the public procurement system”, indicated Padilla Tejada.
The Director of Colombia Compra Eficiente added that the Secop platform “It does not meet the expectations of what the Colombian people and public procurement systems demand today, both in the country and in the world. So, in that sense, in a line, we could say, of transition, we enabled the platform in the popular market to be able to easily incorporate that popular economy.”.
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In that sense, he explained that “we have the challenge, and that is why we have set ourselves “In 2025, we will start the new platform, something we call the technological update of the public procurement system.”
How will it work?
The transition to the new contracting system will be governed by six precepts, starting with a single database that will allow all information to be integrated into a single platform, eliminating duplication and improving the traceability of contractual processes.
“Also a unique and personalized access with which users will have defined roles and configurations adapted to their specific needs, which speeds up access to information and reduces human errors and reports in real time so that decision makers access updated data instantly, which facilitates effective supervision and improves strategic planning,” he indicated.
Likewise, it will work under the concepts of data sovereignty, a point at which Cristóbal Padilla told Portafolio that Colombia Compra Eficiente will be the absolute owner of the platform, reducing dependence on technological providers and ensuring the security of the information.
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Finally, as they highlighted, thanks to automation and centralization of processes, an approximate reduction of 25% in operating expenses is projected, freeing resources for strategic investments.
“The SECOP update in 2025 is a transformative step towards a more agile, equitable and sustainable contracting system. This new platform not only optimizes costs, but also reinforces citizens’ confidence in the management of public resources. We are committed to building a public procurement system that is an example of efficiency and transparency,” said Cristóbal Padilla.
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Inclusion and agreements
In this conversation, Portafolio also delved into the outstanding achievements of Colombia Compra Eficiente for 2024 and there it was first reported that during the year, 113 new suppliers belonging to this sector were enabled, marking a notable growth compared to the 28 registered in 2023 and diversifying the offer in public purchases and promoting the economic development of small producers, microenterprises and solidarity organizations.
“Important agreements were awarded such as clothing and footwear, in addition to the ninth window of the Café Social catalog, directly benefiting five coffee microenterprises and strengthening local production chains,” they added.
This agency expanded that through the Democratization Routewas able to train more than 44,000 people in the departments it visited and where it did not focus solely on citizens, but took into account public servants, suppliers, unions and associations, prioritizing important aspects such as the inclusion of women.
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“We are going to focus on democratizing public procurement, where the training strategy through the Public Procurement Democratization Route plays a fundamental role. This initiative is also the spearhead of a commitment to build a decentralized entity, connected to the regions, municipalities and departments. At the same time, we are firmly betting on the new platform, since both aspects advance hand in hand,” they stated.
In this sense, they closed by inviting Colombians to get much closer to public contracting processes, highlighting that citizen oversight is a fundamental part of the fight for transparency, while recalling that anyone who wishes can participate in these calls.
