RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE GPA/W/24/Add.3
15November 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-4833)
Original: English Committee onGovernment Procurement
QUESTIONNAIRE ONINFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
INGOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT
Response byKorea
TheattachedcommunicationcontainstherepliesfromthedelegationofKoreatothequestionnaire
onInformation Technology inGovernment Procurement contained indocument GPA/W/24, dated
22August 1996.GPA/W/24/Add.3
Page2
REPLIES BYKOREA TOTHE QUESTIONNAIRE ON
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY1
1. Could delegations giveabriefdescription ofanystepstaken orplanned tointroduce information
technology intopublic procurement? Ifso,doesthiscover contracts which arecovered under the
1994 Agreement? Atalllevels ofgovernment?
Withtheexpansion oftheVAN project anditsdissemination bythegovernment, procurement
information related tocertain procurement agencies isprovided through GINS (Goldstar Information
Network Services).
- This does notinclude thecontracts ofallprocurement agencies covered bythe
Agreement. Itprovides information oncontracts oftheOffice ofSupply, Military
Procurement Headquarters oftheMinistry ofDefense, Korea Housing Corporation,
KoreaSubwayCorporation,LandDevelopmentCorporation,KoreaTelecom,KEPCO,
andsome localgovernments.
2. What function(s) would information technology serveinsuchsystems andwhowillbetheusers?
Thefunctions andusers ofinformation technology areasfollows:
- Functions: notification oftender opportunities regarding product andfacilities
construction, notification ofcontract awards, tender-related legislation, yearly purchase
plans.
- Users: procuring entities, suppliers.
3. Could delegations describe thetechnical aspects ofthesystems inuseorplanned? Inparticular
asregards infrastructure/hardware-software anditsoptions/standards?
n.a.
4. Could delegations describe anylimitations affecting access toinformation available anduse
ofsystems? Howwideispotential access tointerested suppliers? What aretheaccess possibilities
forsuppliers ofother signatory countries? What possible obstacles toaccess might ariseforsuppliers
inother signatory countries?
Interested suppliers arenotaffected byaccess limitations tothesystem when using PCswith
modems.However,thePCsmusthavearegistrationnumberintheGINS,whichusesaKorean-language
software program.
5. Forthose Parties whousedatabases which listgovernment procurement opportunities:
(i) What arethenames oftheirdatabases?
GINS.
1Please takeintoconsideration thatnotallthequestions fallunder thepurview oftheOffice ofSupply. Onlythose related
toGINS, avalue-added telecommunications network, areresponded here.GPA/W/24/Add.3
Page3
(ii) How longhave thedatabases been operational andhowmany suppliers usethe
databases?
Thedatabase hasbeenoperational forseven years andisusedby1,400 suppliers.
(iii) Isafeecharged tosuppliers using thesystem? Ifso,howmuch, andwhatisincluded
inthefee?
Amonthly feeofW33,000 ischarged, which includes value-added tax.
(iv) Cansuppliers obtain tender documentation electronically? Ifso,how?
Notforthetimebeing.
(v) Howisinformation onthedatabases organized?
Itiscollected byaprivate company, LGInformation Telecommunications.
(vi) Dothedatabases offeranyother features?
Thedatabase alsohasanelectronic mail(E-mail) function.
(vii) What istheapproximate number ofprocurement opportunities listed onthedatabases
annually?
Theapproximate number ofprocurement opportunities listed inthedatabase annually isabout
7,000. Thisfigure onlycovers thenotification oftender opportunities bytheOffice ofSupply.
(viii) Arethesystems managed bythegovernment oraprivate company?
Thesystem ismanaged byaprivate company, LGInformation Telecommunications.
(ix) CanParties 'databases beinterrogated using international standards, suchasSQL-
Standard Query Language?
n.a.
(x) Areallnotices which arerequired tobepublished under Articles IXandXVIII:1 of
theAgreement -forentities inAnnexes 1,2and3-alsoavailable ondatabases? If
so,dosuchnotices contain atleasttheminimum information required tobepublished
under Articles IXandXVIII:1?
Notallnotices required tobepublished under theAgreement areavailable onthedatabase.
Among theminimum information required tobepublished under Articles IXandXVIII, thedatabase
includes thefollowing items onGINS:
(a) Notification oftender opportunities:
- thekindandnumber ofproducts tobecovered under procurement, andthe
name oftheprocuring entity;
- theprocedure forparticipating intender;
- thedateofdelivery;GPA/W/24/Add.3
Page4
- theperiod ofregistration forcompanies eligible toparticipate intender;
- companies eligible toparticipate intender;
- thetelephone number oftheprocuring entity through which documents related
totender canbeobtained.
(b) Notification ofcontract awards:
- thekind, number andname ofproducts forwhich thecontract isawarded;
- procuring entity;
- thedateofthecontract award;
- thename ofthecompany which isawarded thecontract;
- theamount ofthecontract award indollar terms.
(xi) HowareAgreement-covered notices identified?
Atthemoment, there isnoparticular codeinthedatabase toidentify whether thenotices are
covered bytheAgreement ornot.
(xii) Towhatextent doeseachtypeofnotice contained indatabases conform toastandard
structure?
n.a.
(xiii) Isanyparticular classification usedinsuchnotices todescribe purchases and,ifso,
whatclassification?
n.a.
(xiv) Where databases exist inanon-WTO language, towhat extent arenotices and
information summarized inaWTO language?
Currently, GINS provides information onlyinKorean.
6. Forthose Parties whoareinvolved inaction intheareaofelectronic commerce:
(i) Pleaseprovidefullinformationonprojectsandplanswithregardtoelectroniccommerce.
Korea hasbeenconducting electronic commerce byutilizing EDIintheareaofforeign trade.
However, electronic commerce hasnotbeenutilized inthegovernment procurement sector, andKorea
doesnotyethaveaplantointroduce electronic commerce ingovernment procurement.
(ii) Could thoseParties whohaveexperience withelectronic commerce provide information
onsuchexperiences?
n.a.