New system expected to save £200m per year for Welsh public sector

The Welsh Assembly government is introducing an e-procurement system that will more efficiently connect public sector organisations in the principality with suppliers, saving £200m annually.

The programme - which aims to make suppliers more accessible and easier to pay - will go live in the next two months.

The project will help deliver real change, according to Andrew Davies, minister for finance & public service delivery.

"This programme shows Wales at its finest, using cutting-edge technology to deliver the best value possible for the Welsh pound, creating public services we can be proud of," he said.

Suppliers will be able to register for free, in an effort to migrate them quickly on to the system.

The e-procurement platform will deliver more competitive prices, as well as more efficient paperless transactions.

Vendor ProcServe has been appointed as a key supplier for the programme.

The Welsh public sector spends about £4.5bn annually.