PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to introduce an online system for procurement and award of contracts to ensure transparency.
A handout said the government was considering introducing the proposed system from the upcoming financial year for procurement and award of contracts. The decision was taken at a meeting on e-procurement initiative with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the chair.
Minister Amjad Ali Khan, finance secretary, administrative secretaries of departments and senior officials of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Procurement Regulatory Authority attended the meeting.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Procurement Regulatory Authority has developed a new online e-procurement system equipped with the required features for online procurement and award of government contracts.
The provincial government has already introduced an e-bidding and e-tendering system for contracts in the Communication and Works department. However, procurement of goods and services is still being carried out in the traditional manner in government departments.
The process of procurement and services as well as the award of contracts for construction work be carried out online with the implementation of the e-procurement system.
As per the decision, the provincial government departments will be required to carry out all types of procurement under the e-procurement system from the beginning of the next financial year.
Later, the e-procurement system will be extended to the autonomous bodies of the provincial government. Under the new e-procurement system, the entire process of awarding contracts and procurement will be made paperless, and human interference will be minimized to the maximum possible level.
Speaking at the meeting, the chief minister termed the e-procurement system essential for ensuring transparency in government contracts and the procurement process.
He said it would help eliminate malpractices in the award of contracts and procurement process and ultimately ensure the quality of construction work.
Mahmood Khan said transparency and merit in all government affairs was the most important component of his government’s good governance strategy, adding the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government believed in transparency.
He termed the new e-procurement system a major initiative of the KP government and directed the officials to finalize the preparations and requirements for the implementation of this system.
