Bhutan’s private IT firms have expressed concern over the government’s decision to award laptop and desktop procurement contracts straight to the State Trading Corporation of Bhutan Limited. Finance Minister Lekey Dorji announced that the ministry will take a different strategy in future procurement cycles. The new framework will require tighter collaboration between the government, ITAB, and the Department of Procurement and Properties (DPP) when developing tender specifications and terms for future procurements. As part of this collaboration, the ITAB has promised to help refine the printer cartridge requirements. According to the finance ministry, all laptop and desktop purchases and management must comply with the DPP’s ICT Guideline 2024.
According to the PRR, open tendering is required for procurements over Nu 15 million, with limited tendering allowed in specified price ranges. Wangchuk claims it will destabilize the market for IT enterprises, who are already battling to remain competitive in the face of SOEs’ expanding dominance. The private enterprises also sought clarification on the pricing and specifications listed in the ministry’s announcement, querying the exclusion of well-known OEM brands including Acer, HP, Fujitsu, Asus, and Microsoft. They further say that prior centralised procurements coordinated by the DPP imposed strict requirements on private enterprises, such as offering a three-year warranty, submitting MAFs, and providing OEM-trained technical certificates. There are more than 35 IT enterprises in the country.