The Ministry of Finance and the State Administration for Market Regulation
issued guidance to advance high-quality development of local government
procurement e-marketplaces. The guidance defines e-marketplaces’ role: primarily
to host second-stage transactions under framework agreements for goods listed in
the centralized procurement catalogue under the Government Procurement Law; they
may, per local circumstances, facilitate small-value off-catalogue goods
purchases but purchasers cannot be forced to buy via the e-marketplace.
Provincial finance departments must coordinate regional e-marketplace build-out,
establish management systems, designate managers (centralized procurement
agencies or other entrusted bodies), engage third-party providers for operation,
maintenance and price monitoring, and implement supervision together with market
regulators. E-marketplace managers are responsible for platform construction,
operation and maintenance, drafting service agreements, improving product
reference-price formation mechanisms and providing basic transaction support.
