Ministry of Science and ICT Expands Review Scope for Broadcasting Equipment Specifications... From Over 300 Million KRW to Over 100 Million KRW

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] From now on, when establishing broadcasting equipment in the public sector, any order amounting to 100 million KRW or more must undergo a specification review. This is a measure to prevent unreasonable specification demands.

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on the 31st that it will revise the 'Guidelines for the Establishment and Operation of Broadcasting Equipment in Public Institutions' to create a fair competition environment and revitalize the broadcasting equipment industry in the public sector, effective June 1.

The guidelines were established to prevent practices such as demanding unreasonable specifications aimed at purchasing specific foreign equipment when public institutions, including national agencies and local governments, place orders for broadcasting equipment projects. Considering the continuous increase in public institutions' broadcasting equipment orders due to the rise in non-face-to-face meetings and events, the revision was made to promote fair competition.

The revised guidelines expand the scope of broadcasting equipment specification reviews from the previous order amount of 300 million KRW or more to 100 million KRW or more. According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, as of 2020, there were a total of 199 contracts subject to the current guideline of 300 million KRW or more, accounting for 44.9% of the total contract amount, and expanding the scope to 100 million KRW or more would cover a total of 706 contracts, accounting for 75.4% of the total contract amount.

A Ministry of Science and ICT official explained, "We aimed to create conditions where small and medium-sized broadcasting equipment companies can compete fairly by preventing unreasonable specification demands in more broadcasting equipment projects."

Additionally, the guidelines stipulate that to avoid unnecessary administrative procedures, if the ordering institution accepts opinions from contractors and others following a prior disclosure, the review committee may be omitted.

The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to strengthen monitoring of broadcasting equipment projects through the Korea Electronics and Telecommunications Industry Association (KEA) to ensure the effectiveness of these guideline revisions, and will provide assistance to public institution officials in handling broadcasting equipment establishment tasks through continuous consulting and educational projects.

A Ministry of Science and ICT official stated, “This guideline revision is expected to prevent budget waste caused by excessive equipment establishment in public institutions and expand market participation of small and medium-sized enterprises,” adding, “As part of proactive administration, the Ministry will continue to actively support the creation of a fair competition environment in the broadcasting equipment industry through institutional improvements.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.