§ 50-5-50 — Purposes and policies of part

The underlying purposes and policies of this part are: (1) To permit the continued development of centralized procurement policies and practices; (2) To control and reduce the cost of purchasing, leasing, renting, or otherwise procuring supplies, materials, services, and equipment through the use of centralized purchasing; (3) To ensure openness and accessibility by all qualified vendors to the state's purchasing processes so as to achieve the lowest possible costs to the state through effective competition among such vendors; (4) To provide for timely, effective, and efficient service to using agencies and to vendors doing business with the state; (5) To ensure the fair and equitable treatment of all persons who deal with the procurement system of the state; (6) To provide for increased public confidence in the procedures followed in public procurement; and (7) To provide safeguards for the maintenance of a procurement system of quality and integrity.