Co-ops gain access to the government portal

In a move to provide a new opportunity for the MSME sector, the government today approved a proposal to expand the mandate of Government e-Marketplace (GeM) by allowing procurement by co-operatives. Presently, the registration of co-operatives as buyers was not covered within the existing mandate of GeM.

Launched in August 2016, GeM so far allowed procurement of goods and services by government departments, ministries, and public sector units (PSUs) from MSMEs and other enterprises.“This will bring transparency into co-operatives, help them benefit from the GeM marketplace, and give GeM sellers access to a bigger base of buyers,” information and broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said.

Currently, GeM is not available for private sector buyers while sellers could be from across all segments including government or private.

Read more at the telegraph online