Commonwealth tech procurement rules must be re-written to match the rhetoric of the Future Made in Australia agenda, a Senate inquiry has found, after widespread warnings that too much of the Albanese government’s $15 billion annual ICT spend is heading off shore.
The inquiry heard the local sector’s development is suffering under a Canberra’s procurement system slanted toward tech giants and global consultancies that are exploiting vague definitions, their tax advantages and risk averse public servants.
In its final report, the Senate Finance and Public Administration References Committee, backed calls to level the playing field with for more robust provisions and an official definition of sovereign capability.
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