The GRTU expressed the strong opposition of its members in the ICT sector to the recently published call for tenders by government to acquire 15,000 computer systems based on a lease agreement.

It claimed yesterday that this tender, if implemented, would create a new monopoly or oligopoly and completely destroy the large array of small businesses operating in this sector

The government may once again succeed in parading big names at the expense of choice and representation of smaller esteemed firms.

And at a time when it is pressing, as in the case of Mater Dei Hospital, arguments in favour of ownership over leasing as the most cost effective option, the government is now doing the opposite.

But in a reaction, the IT Ministry said that a new leasing contract for the public service and all public schools will allow the government to entirely outsource the repair and maintenance of its equipment, focusing its in-house IT specialist resources at MITTS Ltd into more strategic functions and cutting down considerably on duplicated costs from acquiring and retaining the knowledge needed for several different brands and products.

Secondly, the government will be able to use at all times the most recent technology since the supplier of the government’s IT needs will be obliged to update the technology without increasing the costs it levies.

The new leasing system has the added bonus of refurbishing computers well ahead of their use-by date, which can then be distributed to disadvantaged families and communities who so far could not afford to acquire technologies to use them in their daily lives.

And leasing will replace the weaknesses in the formerly standard “e-procurement” processes which, unlike what the GRTU argues, puts the government at considerable disadvantage when purchasing as it never benefited from the economies of scale that should be natural to the quantities needed and products sold to it were often below-standard and accompanied by unsatisfactory service levels.