The transition she described — from procurement as a compliance function to procurement as a strategic policy tool — is already under way in parts of the region, accelerated by digital technology and a growing body of evidence on what works.
Finland, she noted, is among those leading the way, deploying procurement dashboards as senior management instruments to identify bottlenecks and track portfolio performance across government spending.
Thailand’s 4T approach
For Thailand, which is hosting the conference as part of a broader agenda of economic modernisation, the moment carries particular significance.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas outlined the government’s policy framework — which he described as the “4T approach” — encompassing Thailand market, transition, transformation, and together.
“Public procurement is no longer just about buying goods. It’s about shaping the future of our economy,” he said, noting that improving procurement efficiency alone could generate savings of up to 10 per cent of total project value, freeing resources for reinvestment in resilient and inclusive growth.
The government is advancing three connected reform pillars.
The first is digital procurement, through enhanced e-government platforms and expanded data use, to improve decision-making and transparency.
The second is clean procurement, embedding sustainability considerations directly into purchasing decisions to account for long-term environmental and fiscal impacts rather than short-term costs alone.
The third is innovation procurement, shifting emphasis from lowest-price outcomes towards performance-based criteria that create openings for new technologies, start-ups, and novel solutions.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) — which the minister described as the backbone of the Thai economy and its largest source of employment — are a particular focus.
SME participation in public procurement rose by nearly 10 per cent in 2025, reflecting improved access and streamlined procedures. The government is also connecting its electronic procurement platform to banking supply chain financing systems to help SMEs secure working capital.
Technology as accelerator
Across all three speakers, digital transformation emerged as both the means and the measure of procurement modernisation.
The shift towards data-driven government purchasing — underpinned by analytics, interoperable systems, and artificial intelligence — is remaking how public institutions plan, execute, and oversee spending.
Batten from the ADB noted that his institution is working across its regional investments to move beyond lowest-cost bidding, introducing mandatory merit-point criteria that weigh quality, technical capability, innovation, and environmental and social performance.
“Procurement is evolving from a purely transactional task into one of the most strategic instruments of public policy,” he said.
Moorty echoed the theme, arguing that digital procurement platforms are compressing timelines, improving transparency, and generating the data governments need to make better decisions.
“Technology is a very powerful accelerator of this transformation,” she told delegates.
Jobs, inclusion, and the road to 2030
Running through the day’s discussions was an acute awareness of the human stakes. Across East Asia and the Pacific, a young and ambitious workforce is entering labour markets at a time when global economic shocks are testing the resilience of even the strongest economies.
Whether public procurement translates government spending into productive employment — particularly for young people — will depend on deliberate choices about how those systems are designed.
“How government spends public resources can determine whether growth translates into jobs and shared prosperity,” Moorty said.
Finance Minister Ekniti put it in similarly direct terms. When procurement is aligned with policy objectives, he argued, it delivers outcomes that extend well beyond cost efficiency.
“It creates jobs by supporting local businesses and economic participation for all. It drives innovation by opening doors of opportunity for new technologies and new ideas.”
The conference continues through Wednesday, with participants exchanging tools, innovations, and partnership models to help governments across the region design procurement systems capable of delivering those outcomes.
The gathering builds on momentum from previous IPPC events in Seoul in 2024 and Manila in 2025 and is intended to help position procurement reform as a cornerstone of national development strategies heading into 2030.
“If the job is done well,” Moorty concluded, “procurement becomes more than a process. It becomes a platform for prosperity.”
The International Public Procurement Conference 2026 runs from 27 to 29 April in Bangkok, Thailand.
