New Delhi, May 14 (KNN) The Government of India has exempted the public procurement of supplies required for containment of COVID-19 global pandemic from the applicability of Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) PPPMI Order, 2017.

As per the order issued by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said that the aforesaid exemption shall be applicable till 30.09.2021.

''The administrative Department undertaking the procurement (including procurement by any entity under its: administrative control) may exempt the procurement of supplies required for containment of COVID-19 global pandemic from the applicability of this order/ any provision thereof, after written approval of Secretary of the Department concerned or any other Authority having been assigned power by the Secretary of the Department concerned. The aforesaid exemption, shall be applicable only till September 30 2021,” the latest DPIIT order issued on May 13 stated.

Notably, on June 4 last year, with an aim to promote 'Make in India' and make the country self-reliant, the government had modified public procurement order (2017) to give the most preference to companies whose goods and services had 50 per cent (classified as Class 1 local supplier) or more local content followed by those whose domestic value addition was between 20 per cent and 49 per cent (Class 2 local supplier).

The order was further amended on September 16, 2020 allowing Departments and Ministries to mandate higher than minimum 50 per cent and 20 per cent local content stipulated earlier for two separate categories of local suppliers.