Gatineau, Quebec - Public Services and Procurement Canada
Today, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, announced a key milestone in the establishment of the new Office of Supplier Integrity and Compliance (OSIC), which will strengthen the integrity and oversight of the procurement process to help ensure that Canada does not contract with suppliers of concern.
The revised Ineligibility and Suspension Policy, a key supporting instrument of the work that OSIC will administer on behalf of the Government of Canada, was posted online on May 1, 2024, and comes into effect today, May 31, 2024. The revised policy brings enhancements to Public Services and Procurement Canada's (PSPC) approach to addressing suppliers of concern, allowing the department to better respond to misconduct and wrongdoing and further safeguard the integrity of federal procurements and real property agreements.
The establishment of OSIC modernizes the Government of Canada's debarment and suspension program, further strengthens its approach to identifying potential instances of fraud and wrongdoing within federal procurement through the use of data analytics capacity, and gives the government additional tools to address other concerning conduct, such as terrorist financing, the use of human trafficking or forced labour, or relevant offences recognized in provincial and foreign civil judgments.
This work builds on the Government of Canada's commitment to modernizing procurement practices so that they are simpler and less administratively burdensome, deploy modern comptrollership, and encourage greater competition, while supporting innovation, greening and social procurement. It builds on additional practices undertaken by PSPC to make immediate improvements to procurement processes and procedures, beginning with professional services contracting, and increasing transparency surrounding contract information.
The Government of Canada is unwavering in its stance against unethical and illegal business practices and for the prudent use of tax dollars. Instances of fraud and misconduct will be thoroughly investigated, and appropriate action will be taken to hold bad actors accountable.
