Should Procurement Professionals accept gifts items for personal use (having no commercial value) offered by vendors? Please see below for examples.

Procurement officers need to maintain integrity and show transparency in their behavior. It is to be noted here that procurement officers are always under Radar of the Senior Management. So, procurement officer shall not take any gift like watches, perfumes from suppliers. If any supplier is offering the same, the procurement officer shall deny and clearly mention that accepting any gifts is against the organization’s policy.

 However, sometimes suppliers as part of their promotional campaign may offer Diary, Calendar, inexpensive ball point pen and simple penholders. Normally, these are accepted and kept centrally in the organization. Again, these are distributed among all the staff members through a mechanism thus again confirming transparency.  

Most corporations have rules on value of gifts from vendors. In the case of my company it is 400 kuna or roughly 60 dollars. There might be different rules for gifts that exceed that amount -  you might have to report to your boss or even decline the gift altogether.

 

Appreciating Mr. Md. Fazlur Rahma Answer which completely answered the question.

Agree with him that Procurement Procurement Officers should not accept any gifts regardless it's values

Agree with Miss Jasmina and Mr.Fazlurahman

Hi, 

I'm Yuvaraj.

 

Accepting gits should not be consider as bribe. Vendors choosing publicity when they displayed their logo's on gift. But Procurement Professionals should accept it for a mankind and also for relationship.  But those gifts should not use inside office / for office purpose. 

It is not bad to accept gifts so long as they will not influence your procurement processes. for example in our case, your can accept gifts up to a ascertain value, anything above the set value has to be declared and goes to the institution. Most of the gifts are again just meant for marketing purposes.

Firstly cheked why they offering to us, what is the mode of operandi behind this. If it is related with the material execution or payment clearance then strictly prohibited enrty to the office/warehouse premises with the Gifts.

1. Integrity Issue

2. Loss of Honesty

3. Destructed Mind for other issue

I will be given a personal position here. Procurement professional should not accept gift. Either of commercial value or not. I included this in the procurement policy of one of the company I worked as Head of Procurement department, under “Procurement Ethics”.

I have practiced this and it has worked for me and my department  and enhanced the positive image my organisation and mine.

Acceptances of gift have a way of influencing decisions and sway them in favour of the giver of these gifts. Acceptance of gift would dent the image of organisation and is also capable of corrupting the entire procurement department and the organisation.

Hence, it is better to completely avoid acceptance of gift in whatever form. This position is good for the procurement professional and its organisation or employer.

 

I have been offered gift on several occasions by local and overseas vendors, I politely turn them down. Some were sent by courier and they were also returned by courier services to the senders. Today I have clear conscience and my subordinates were able to learn this salient lesson that bother on procurement ethics directly from me. 

The best practice in the procurement field is to have a ( Zero Tolerance ) work methodology This means no gift is to be accepted , starting from minor low value gifts going upwards to high value gifts The idea is to close the door from the beginning on any type of unwanted events concerning a breach in the work ethics of the procurement function Accepting minor gifts at the beginning might lead to bigger suspicious activities in this sensitive function

I completely agree with Md. Fazlur Rahman's answer. Each and every Procurement officer must maintain integrity and transparency. Though, most of the organizations have certain fixed value upto which Gifts can be accepted; but it is always better not to accept any kind of personal gifts from suppliers.

Inexpensive Gifts in the form of New Year Calendars or Diaries or Pens or Stationery Items etc which are distributed as their brand promotions are still acceptable as these are mostly kept at your work stations in the office and it has full transparency.

Any other gifts should be denied respectfully.

 

none of this gifts , for what purpose this means its like a bribe or disclosing of company potential efforts .