The Committee on Government Procurement has approved a compilation of best practices to enhance the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in government procurement. This decision was announced by Martin Zbinden, the chair of the committee. He stated, "This outcome on SMEs is significant. It reflects the efforts that GPA parties have undertaken over the past ten years in the context of the Committee's Work Programme on SMEs."
Additionally, an agreement was reached to simplify updates for GPA party-specific information within the GPA 2012 framework. The GPA 2012 includes 22 parties representing 49 WTO members. While open to all WTO members, it binds only those who have joined.
Timor-Leste recently participated as an observer in a GPA meeting after joining the WTO on August 30 and becoming an observer on September 27. Lurdes Bessa, Timor-Leste's WTO Ambassador, commented: “This is an important step for Timor-Leste, not only as part of our WTO accession process but also as a testament to our commitment to international economic integration and the establishment of sound procurement practices... We firmly believe that participation in the GPA can be a transformative step.”
Progress was also made regarding Albania and Costa Rica's accession negotiations. Both countries submitted new documents which were welcomed by existing parties. Albania revised its government procurement legislation submissions while Costa Rica presented a revised market access offer.
The meeting allowed for discussions about China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, and Tajikistan’s ongoing negotiations for accession.
The next committee meeting is scheduled for late November.