Belém hosts regional workshop of the National Strategy for Public Procurement for Sustainable Development
The meeting brought together representatives from federal, state, and municipal agencies in the North region to discuss public procurement strategies aligned with sustainable development
The capital of Pará, Belém, was the stage on Tuesday (17) for the Northern Regional Workshop of the National Strategy for Public Procurement for Sustainable Development (ENCP). The event was held at the Judicial School of the Judiciary of the State of Pará and organized by the Human Resources Management Secretariat of the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services (MGI), in partnership with the Government of Pará, through the State Planning and Administration Secretariat (Seplad).
The Deputy Secretary of Modernization and Administrative Management of Seplad, Gabriel Perez, highlighted the importance of choosing the capital of Pará as the venue for the regional listening session, emphasizing the strategic role of public procurement in the socioeconomic development of the country.
“It is a great satisfaction to choose Belém for this listening session. This represents the recognition of the importance of the Amazon region, whose complexity and richness need to be heard, understood, and integrated into the main national decisions. Currently, public procurement plays a fundamental role in the socioeconomic development of Brazil, driving the local and regional economy through the acquisition of goods, services, and works. Together, the Union, States, and Municipalities form one of the largest buyers in the country. Therefore, it is essential that they also take the lead in adopting sustainable practices. Procurement needs to stop being merely operational and become strategic instruments aimed at sustainable development. This is the purpose of this meeting,” he stated.
According to MGI, between January and May of this year, more than R$ 36 billion were invested in public procurement in the North region, with almost half of that amount — R$ 17.6 billion — directly impacting the economy of Pará.
The workshop brought together representatives from federal, state, and municipal agencies to discuss the incorporation of sustainable practices into public procurement processes. The proposal of the regional workshops is to identify specific demands of each region and outline strategies for public procurement to effectively contribute to sustainable development.
The Deputy Secretary of Management and Innovation of MGI, Herbert Barros, emphasized that the new Procurement Law stipulates that public procurement should generate real impacts on the lives of the population.
“The challenge posed by Minister Esther Dweck is to ensure that all engagement in the public procurement process results in something beyond equipping offices or enabling tools for the execution of public policies. What we seek is for public procurement to bring direct and concrete benefits to people. The new Procurement Law already incorporates this principle and brings concrete provisions, such as the requirement for minimum percentages of vacancies for women in situations of violence in contracts with exclusive labor dedication,” he explained.
Social and Environmental Impact
During the event, the Project Manager of the Jataí Institute from Minas Gerais, Bárbara Bueno, reinforced the impact that public procurement has on society and environmental preservation.
“Public procurement has a huge impact on society, even if it is not always visible. Thinking about how to use public money to generate development, preserve the forest standing, and encourage local production is essential. I have great expectations of hearing from the States and government participants here, so we can build a better design for the country and for Pará,” she said.
In addition to the discussions promoted by the workshops, a base text will be prepared with guidelines and orientations to guide public procurement in the coming years. This document will be submitted to public consultation, ensuring society's participation in the process.
For the Autarchic Attorney of the State Health Secretariat (Sespa), Thiago Azevedo, the event represents an opportunity for improvement.
“The expectation is the best possible. This exchange of knowledge will help us improve public procurement in the State, focusing on the applicability of the new law and the pursuit of sustainable development,” he stated.
The workshop was divided into two stages: the first to discuss the challenges and objectives of the national strategy and the second for the identification and prioritization of solutions.
Márcia Rocha, State Superintendent of Purchases and Bids of Rondônia, highlighted the importance of sustainability in this process. “Our goal is to promote positive changes in public procurement, benefiting all of society and considering future generations. Rondônia is working with the Federal Government to strengthen this practice,” she said.
The ENCP is an initiative of the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services (MGI), led by the Management and Innovation Secretariat (Seges), with technical support from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Brazilian Service of Support to Micro and Small Enterprises (Sebrae Nacional).
The event in Belém marked the conclusion of the cycle of regional workshops of the ENCP, which has also taken place in the Central-West (Campo Grande), Southeast (Belo Horizonte), Northeast (Fortaleza and Salvador), and South (Curitiba) regions.
