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The Financial Express
Date: Tuesday July 28 2009
Nazmul Ahsan
The government plans to bring all its offices across the country under the electronic government procurement (EGP) system by 2011 with a view to reining in corruption and irregularities and establishing transparency in the bidding process, official sources said.
The procurement of all goods and services in the public sector will have to be done through the planned system.
The Central Procurement Technical Unit (CPTU) of the Planning Ministry has recently finalized the draft of electronic procurement guidelines and the same would be introduced in at least 15 to 16 government offices by 2009, sources added.
An agreement between the CPTU and the Grameenphone, a private mobile phone company, is likely to be signed soon to establish Internet connectivity between government offices in Dhaka and at district headquarters to facilitate e-procurement programme, it is learnt.
We have a target to cover all government offices under the e-procurement by 2011,"Amulya Kumar Debnath, director general, CPTU, Planning Ministry, told the FE.
Initially 15-16 offices under four government departments will be brought under the new concept of procurement followed by district level offices under the departments concerned."
An agreement with the GP will be signed in August to facilitate the process."
Sources in the Planning Ministry said, the EGP would be introduced in the offices under the Roads & Highway, Local Government Engineering Department, Bangladesh Water Development Board and Rural Electrification Board, in the first phase.
The value of annual procurement of goods and services by four departments is estimated at above Tk 100 billion, sources said. In Bangladesh, more than 80 percent of the annual development expenditure is spent mainly on government procurement.
According to the draft of the EGP guidelines, the secrecy of quoted price would be strictly maintained, tendering and evaluation will be done electronically and e-signature has been allowed.
The security and dispute resolution will be made electronically. The participating bidders for supplying goods, constructing works or providing services will be informed of procurement and results of the bidding electronically, the guidelines added.
The payment for the procurement will also be made electronically while suppliers would also be able pay their performance guarantee money electronically, officials concerned said.
The draft guidelines have ensured subscriber services, while record storage system has also been included with the guidelines to protect the legitimate interest of suppliers, sources said.
The draft guidelines will soon be placed to the higher authority for approval, a high official in the CPTU said.
When asked, a high official in the planning Ministry said the e-tendering under the EGP will ensure all tendering opportunities and award outcomes on a single internet site, open access for all bidding documents and opportunity for customization options. |
