The Union Cabinet has given its approval for expanding the mandate of GeM to allow procurement by Cooperatives as buyers on the Government-e-Marketplace (GeM) platform.
About Government e Marketplace (GeM)
- The Government e Marketplace (GeM) was launched on August 9, 2016 by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
- It was launched to create an open and transparent procurement platform for Government buyers.
- A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) by the name of Government e- Marketplace (GeM SPV) was set up as the National Public Procurement Portal on 17th May, 2017.
- At present, the platform is open for procurement by all government buyers: central and state ministries, departments, public sector enterprises, autonomous institutions, local bodies, etc.
- As per existing mandate, GeM is not available for use by private sector buyers. Suppliers (sellers) can be from across all segments: government or private.
Cooperative movement
- The cooperative movement in India has grown significantly, playing an important role in addressing the developmental needs of underprivileged classes in India, especially in agricultural, banking and housing sectors.
- There are currently 8.54 lakh registered cooperatives.
- These cooperatives collectively procure and sell in large quantities.
- Presently, the registration of cooperatives as “buyers” was not covered within the existing mandate of GeM.
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