‘Soft corruption’ and ‘self-licking’ software plague govt tech


Joseph Brookes
Senior Reporter

Australian tech suppliers have warned large foreign competitors and big four consultants are exploiting low tax bills, unskilled government buyers and a system of “soft corruption” to land and expand lucrative contracts.

Vault Cloud founder and chief executive Rupert Taylor-Price told a Senate inquiry on Monday that the Commonwealth’s troubled procurement system is suffering under an infiltration of international giants and little consideration of the retained economic benefits of local alternatives.

He said global tech firms’ partnerships with advisors like PwC, KPMG, Deloitte and EY extend to procurement arrangements and the crossover of their above and below the line work.

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