North Territory Economic Meeting

Focus on public procurement at Nordev

The Departmental Council took an active part in the "Rencontres économiques du territoire Nord" organized by the Cinor at the Nordev on September 22. This day dedicated to public procurement saw the mobilization of many of the Department's services, who came to provide answers to the visitors' questions. A workshop on how to access public contracts via dematerialization was also offered.

For the Department's vice-president Rémy Lagourgue, "We need this special moment of exchange between public buyers and economic operators, which not only allows for a better understanding of needs and issues, but above all for the collective construction of sustainable solutions. We need to overcome this crisis which is weighing heavily on our economy and the development of the territory despite a "very favorable" business climate, as the IEDOM reminds us in its latest economic report.

At the official opening of the event - which saw the participation of the Department, the CINOR, the Region, the Cities of Saint-Denis and Sainte-Suzanne, Roland Garros Airport, SIDELEC and the SHLMR - Rémy Lagourgue did not fail to point out that each year, nearly €150 million are devoted by the Department to support the activity of companies on our island. "Aware of the socio-economic context, we have increased our investments to reach 160 M€ this year. In addition, the budget devoted to helping improve housing has been doubled (€20 to €40 million). These efforts benefit primarily small and medium-sized businesses in Reunion. The initiatives of the Collectivity in favor of the latter do not stop there: the more advantageous advance payment system inserted in the contracts; local price revision clauses or even the ever finer allotment, so as to open up the public order to the greatest number of companies. In terms of collective catering, support for local development through public procurement has made it possible to significantly increase the proportion of local products on schoolchildren's plates by 2021. Rémy Lagourgue explains: "We are getting closer to the target objectives set for 2025. Namely, to reach 63% of the expenses devoted to local products, to represent a volume of 70% of local products for our school restaurants".

Source: www.zinfos974.com