18 Mar 19: Ontario plans to create a centralized procurement system across government and the broader public sector as a way to save money. The government estimates it will save $1 billion a year, starting in about five years. Treasury Board President Peter Bethlenfalvy said a line-by-line review found opportunities for significant efficiencies in how the public sector buys goods and services. Estimates have shown that the government ministries alone spend about $6 billion a year on procurement ... that does not include the billions more that we spend on colleges, schools, universities and hospitals," he said Monday.