Parul
The micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) Ministry has taken several measures for effective implementation of the public procurement policy, including constitution of a review committee to monitor the progress of implementation of the public procurement policy and the launch of SC and ST hub to provide support to SC and ST entrepreneurs.
The efforts also include the launch of MSME Sambandh portal to monitor the progress of procurements from micro and small enterprises (MSEs), including the ones owned by SC and ST and the women.
As per official sources, the annual procurement of goods & services from MSME by the central public sector enterprise (CPSE) during 2017–‘18 stood at ₹24,226.51 crore in which the share of procurement from MSEs owned by SC/ST entrepreneurs is ₹442.52 crore.
In fact, the public procurement policy for the MSME has mandated that every central ministry, department, PSU will set an annual goal of minimum 20 per cent of the total annual purchases from the products or services produced or rendered by MSEs.
Though, the government has recently revised the order in making it compulsory for all CPSEs to procure 25 per cent from MSMEs, up from the 20 per cent that was mandated earlier.
Moreover, out of the total annual procurement from micro and small enterprises, 3 per cent from within the target will be earmarked for procurement from MSEs owned by women.
The sources said, a sub-target of 4 per cent out of annual procurement is earmarked for procurement from MSEs owned by SC/ST entrepreneurs.
