PLA Daily 2005-12-19

　　The Central Military Commission recently transmitted the "Opinions on Several Issues Concerning the Deepening of Reform of Equipment Procurement System" jointly issued by the PLA four general headquarters/departments. This is a major event of the PLA in boosting equipment development, and it fully reflects close attention paid by the Central Military Commission to equipment development of the PLA. It is also a major measure taken under the new situation to speed up the leapfrog development of the weaponry and equipment of the PLA. The opinions, having fully implemented the requirements of scientific outlook on development, has put forward a series of realistic policies, objectives and measures for stepping up the reform of weaponry and equipment development in light of the realities of equipment development of the PLA. Thus it is a guidance paper for equipment procurement work of the army in the current period and in the future.

　　In recent years, equipment departments at various levels of the PLA have earnestly implemented the military strategic principles in the new period, energetically intensified equipment procurement management, constantly improved equipment procurement systems and regulations, actively pushed forward the competitive equipment procurement mechanism, and have achieved remarkable results in equipment procurement work. However along with the increasingly perfecting of socialist market economic system, all-round implementation of the national and governmental procurement system, and constant deepening of organizational reform of national defense scientific and technological industries, the current equipment procurement system of the army is no longer in keeping with the requirements of the new situations and the new missions, as there exist, in varying degrees, some outstanding contradictions and problems such as imperfect organizational setup, improper functioning of operational mechanism, imperfection of rules and regulations, and irrationality of human resources structure. All these have hindered rapid development of weaponry and equipment, and have thus called for urgent reform. The promulgation of the opinions has important and far-reaching significance towards establishing a coordinated, efficient, smoothly operational, and standardized equipment procurement operational mechanism in compatibility with the requirements of establishing and perfecting socialist market economic system and requirements of weaponry and equipment, and in dovetailing with government procurement system.

　　(Dec.19, PLA Daily)