The first 45 civil servants trained in public tenders have been certified and will be using their skills in their respective government departments, the state treasury said on Monday.

The government has instituted a programme for so-called Professional Buyers in the broader public sector – people specifically certified in handling public tenders.

The first 45 Professional Buyers received their certifications in a ceremony held last week.

Lack of experience and the lack of market savvy have been cited as reasons for public tender competitions often going awry.

The certified Professional Buyers received 160 hours of training under the guidance of international experts.

The civil servants in question work at 11 contracting authorities – public bodies that handle “a significant volume of public contracts”.

According to the treasury, these government departments have pledged to make the most of the newly certified personnel.

The certification programme is under the auspices of the treasury.

The treasury said it aims to repeat the programme, expanding it to provide training to personnel employed in local government and semi-governmental organisations.

In Cyprus, public tenders are managed by the Public Procurement Directorate of the treasury, with all tenders published on the central eProcurement System at www.eprocurement.gov.cy, where interested parties register and submit electronic bids.