Shadow Treasurer Ben Wyatt has today expressed concerns that the abolition of the State Supply Commission will have an adverse effect on small businesses.
Treasurer Troy Buswell announced yesterday that the State Supply Commission, the agency that oversees government spending, will be absorbed into the Department of Treasury and Finance.
Mr Wyatt said the State Supply Commission sets policies that determine the way in which Treasury can purchase goods and services, and oversees approximately $5.7 billion in Treasury spending.
"The Treasurer claims that the cost of maintaining the small, 13 people agency is 'unsustainable', and believes that recent reforms have negated the need for a separate agency to oversee Treasury spending," Mr Wyatt said.
"Once again, the Treasurer has shown that accountability and transparency are not priorities for the Barnett Government.
"The State Supply Commission's role is to ensure that Government purchasing is scrutinised.
The commission audits the "Buy Local" policy, which stipulates that government agencies must consider "local content" in government tenders, and maximise the potential for competitive local and small business involvement in the supply of goods, services and capital works purchased or contracted by the government.
"The 'Buy Local' policy supports Western Australian small businesses, in particular small businesses in regional centres," Mr Wyatt said.
Mr Wyatt said the State Supply Commission played a vital role in auditing the procurement performance, ensuring government agencies are achieving value for money and probity and independently resolving complaints from aggrieved suppliers.
