Second Edition of Moushtarayat to be Held in April

Doha, February 06 (QNA) - The second edition of the Government Procurement & Contracting Conference and Exhibition - Moushtarayat - will be held from 6 to 8 April 2017 at Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC). Organized by Qatar Development Bank (QDB) in partnership with the Ministry of Finance (MoF), the second edition of Moushtarayat aims to usher in a new wave of opportunities for the local private sector. During the launch of the upcoming edition of Moushtarayat at a press conference held today, Executive Director for Advisory Services, Qatar Development Bank, Ibrahim Al-Mannai said: "Through the second edition of the Government Procurement & Contracting Conference and Exhibition - Moushtarayat - we aim to promote cooperation between private companies and the state through the extension of tendering opportunities. This exhibition is designed to pave the way for greater interaction between the owners of local SMEs and the government- opportunities for low risk public tenders are a great source of encouragement for SMEs to participate in the economy, and through Moushtarayat, we are able to facilitate their access to public tenders and help them overcome common challenges." He added: "We were driven to launch the second edition of Moushtarayat in April 2017 after the overwhelmingly positive response we received last year the first edition of the exhibition saw the attendance of 3,000 visitors and the participation of 25 governmental and semi-governmental organizations; the signing of three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) between Public Works Authority (Ashghal), the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ); provision of 450 jobs with an estimated cumulative value worth up to QR 3 billion; and the signing of contracts valued at approximately QR 111 million." Director of Government Procurement Regulation at the Ministry of Finance Abdulaziz Zeid Al Taleb said that the new tender law, which took effect seven months ago, resulted in awarding 2200 tenders worth QR30 billion, of which 75 percent awarded to local companies, compared to 25 percent to foreign companies. The upcoming Moushtarayat conference and exhibition is the latest in a series of integrated programs and initiatives offered by QDB to develop SMEs. To promote the private sector, QDB locally extends wide-ranging financial and non-financial support to entrepreneurs across a myriad of industries. Furthermore, the development agency is dedicated to strengthening the private sector through the provision of special advisory services, indirect loan facilities, seed investment programs and matchmaking services so that SMEs may achieve higher scales of competitiveness in Qatar. At this year's upcoming exhibition and conference, a number of issues and topics facing SMEs will be addressed, such as the communication between SMEs, the buyers and the relevant authorities; effective exchange of information; claims management; cost-benefit analysis in public contracts; quality of services; international practices and modern trends in the field of supply chain management; documentation of procurement processes; and the subsequent preparation of related reports. Finally, the scope of conference also includes a tutorial on navigating the e-procurement system. Importantly, in addition to streamlining payment methods and integrating the procedure of acquisition, the newly developed e-procurement system allows SMEs an opportunity to learn about active public tenders through accessing a platform that brings together government buyers and local suppliers. This year, public tenders and contracts were carefully divided to maximize opportunities for SMEs to enter into partnerships with the government entities. Through the Government Procurement & Contracting Conference and Exhibition - Moushtarayat, QDB aims to promote the concept of sustainable government procurement, whereby SMEs are guided on the procedures of meeting government requirements and applying successfully for public tenders. The upcoming conference and exhibition also serves the dual purpose of encouraging the active involvement of SMEs and the greater private sector in the economy, as envisioned in Qatar National Vision 2030. (END)