NATIONAL Treasury has
launched a Central Supplier
Database (CSD) to “simplify
the process of doing business
with government”.
The CSD would reduce
the exchange of compliance
documents in paper form,
eliminate multiple registrations
with different organs of state
and ultimately reduce the
cost for both business and
government, the department
said in a statement.
At the launch of the CSD
on September 1, Minister
of Finance, Nhlanhla Nene,
said: “This central supplier
database is the first step
towards standardising,
automating and simplifying
the fragmented supply chain
management system and
is seen as the precursor to
eProcurement in government.
Currently, there is no single
consolidated comprehensive
supplier database and,
consequently, information
related to the compliance
requirements of government is
duplicated during procurement
processes.”
The CSD will interface with
the South African Revenue
Service to verify tax clearance
certificates. It will also verify
supplier information with the
register for tender defaulters
and database of restricted
suppliers.
“The first thing is to remove
the human element. As you
automate you remove the
human element and there
is a huge possibility of [the]
reduction of corruption because
that platform is transparent,”
the Minister said.
TMCs working with
government will have to
register on the CSD website,
www.csd.gov.za. Apart from
registering and capturing
supplier information on the
CSD, suppliers currently on
any database of organs of
state need to maintain their
records through the existing
supplier systems for the period
September 1 to March 31,
2016.
Once suppliers have
registered on the CSD and their
information has been verified,
a unique supplier number and
security code will be allocated
to them. Suppliers will only
be required to register once
when they do business with
government. From April 1, all
organs of state will be have to
use the CSD when selecting
suppliers.
