Country of Origin Made Mandatory on GeM | 24 Jun 2020

Why in News

Government e-Marketplace (GeM), a Special Purpose Vehicle under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has made it mandatory for sellers to enter the Country of Origin while registering all new products on GeM.

Key Points

  • Provisions:
    • Indication of the Local Content: GeM has enabled a provision for indication of the percentage of local content in products.
      • Now, the Country of Origin as well as the local content percentage are visible in the marketplace for all items.
    • Make in India Filter: This new filter has been enabled on the portal so that the buyers can choose to buy only those products that meet the minimum 50% local content criteria.
      • They can also switch on a new Make in India filter to see products that match their preferences on local content.
  • Significance of GeM:
    • Promotion of the ‘Make in India’ Initiative: Since its inception, GeM has continuously worked towards promotion of the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
    • Entry of Small Local Sellers: The Marketplace has facilitated entry of small local sellers in Public Procurement, while implementing ‘Make in India’ and MSME Purchase Preference Policies of the Government in the true sense.
    • Transparent and Cost-effective Procurement: GeM is enabling quick, efficient, transparent and cost-effective procurement, especially when government organizations require products and services urgently to fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
    • Promotion of Atma Nirbhar Bharat: GeM has been promoting the Atma Nirbhar Bharat policy, introduced in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, meant to encourage self-reliance and boost small Indian manufacturers.

Government e-Marketplace (GeM)

  • GeM is a one-stop National Public Procurement Portal to facilitate online procurement of common use Goods & Services required by various Central and State Government Departments/Organizations/Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).
  • It was launched in 2016 to bring transparency and efficiency in the government buying process.
  • It operates under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
  • The procurement of goods and services by Ministries and the Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) is mandatory for goods and services available on GeM.
  • It also provides the tools of e-bidding and reverse e-auction to facilitate the government users achieve the best value for their money.
  • At present, GeM has more than 15 lakh products, around 20,000 services, and more than 40,000 Government buyer organizations.

Source: PIB