CHICAGO, July 16, 2002 -- R.R. Donnelley strongly supports efforts to improve the quality of printing services obtained by federal agencies by reforming the U.S. Government Printing Office’s (GPO) procurement procedures. The company is concerned that if the GPO does not change promptly, its usefulness to its agency customers and the printing industry may be severely limited. The most urgently needed reform is the adoption of “best value” procurement practices. These procedures, commonly used in the public and private sectors, would improve both the quality and the delivery speed of government printing services purchased from the private sector. Under the current process mandated by law, the GPO is prohibited from considering such factors in choosing printing contractors. Price is a critical factor in selecting a contractor. However, R.R. Donnelley strongly believes that taxpayers are disadvantaged when the government is required to ignore critical issues like quality and speed of service. R.R. Donnelley is pleased to join the Printing Industries of America and its member printers, along with other organizations such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in supporting this critical reform. The company has been doing business with the GPO for more than a century. R.R. Donnelley believes that the most effective way to make the “best value” practice work on behalf of the taxpayer is to integrate these modern procurement procedures into the existing GPO system. By doing so, the Office of Management and Budget’s procurement modernization goals can be achieved while avoiding duplication of equipment and expertise and maintaining the economy of the centralized system.