Canteen Store Department (CSD) has signed an agreement with Tejari Pakistan to switch over to online procurement system. The agreement was signed by Major Abdul Hafiz (Retd), Director Purchase & Supply of CSD and Shehzad Shabbir Dahar, Director Operations, Tejari, Pakistan.
The CSD, besides providing services to armed forces, also serves civilian customers. CSD operates 93 stores all over the country and its annual procurement turnover is about Rs eight billion. Major Abdul Hafiz (Retd) told the media persons that CSD has been given an opportunity by Tejari to facilitate the procurement through its Tejari website.
"Such e-procurement initiatives will help us in enhancing our efficiency by reducing time to market and operating costs", he said. Tejari is a marketplace that allows companies to buy and sell goods and services online. Through Tejari, buyers can find, compare and procure products and services from the familiarity and convenience of their desktop Internet browser. Suppliers can list their products and services and sell them through online catalogues or auctions.
This move is anticipated to considerably help CSD to further streamline its procurement processes and allow it to reach out and be available to potential suppliers and business associates in other parts of the world.
CSD basically aims at procurement on low price with improved quality. The rates of the commodities available on CSD are non-fluctuating as in spite of the day by day increasing food inflation, the rates of the commodities, including food and non-food items, available on CSD are the same in this quarter as they were in the last quarter and will remain the same till the next one.
"We have 93 CSD stores across the country that are providing essential commodities, including food and non-food items, in even far off areas like Gilgit, Skardu and Gwadar", Abdul Rashid said.
He disclosed that CSD is operating throughout the country without the government funding. "A few days back, the country was facing a severe flour crisis but on every CSD store, an abundant quantity was available for everyone at Rs 295 for a 20kg bag", he informed the media persons. The CSD management has decided to open 22 more CSD stores across the country in this year including the opening of a new complex of CSD in Islamabad.
Mobile self-service stores under a pilot project of CSD management have been made operational from 16 August 2007 to provide the essential commodities to the people living in far off areas at cheap rates.
He said that CSD management pays tax Rs 480 million annually. Mainly Tejari operates in connecting companies to buy and sell goods and services online, which guarantees flexibility and transparency as well as reduces purchasing costs.
Tejari services provide several advantages to users. They include reducing transaction costs, increasing clients' base and cutting the costs of purchases with the present partners as well as increasing the exports of the country.
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