Bhola: The government has stressed the importance of proper and timely implementation of various projects to prevent misuse of funds, as approximately US$30 billion are spent annually on public procurement in Bangladesh. On average, about 1,500 projects are included in the Annual Development Programme (ADP) each year. Successful achievement of these projects’ goals and objectives could have a significant positive impact on the country’s economy.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Md. Mahfuzar Rahman, director (Joint Secretary) of the Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority (BPPA), highlighted these points as the chief guest at a workshop on BPPA’s functions and experiences with the e-GP system in Bhola district. The workshop, chaired by Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate Md. Azad Jahan, was held at the conference room of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office.
The event, organized by BPPA and managed by the Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs (BCCP), saw participation from representatives of various procuring entities, bank representatives, tenderers, journalists, and BCCP representatives. Md. Mahfuzar Rahman emphasized the government’s focus on reforms and transparency, particularly in public procurement through digitization via e-GP. Currently, about 65 percent of government procurement is conducted through this system.
Rahman stated the need to increase the usage of e-GP to 100 percent, noting that the system has received both domestic and international recognition. Eleven countries and five international organizations have monitored its implementation. The e-CMS has been launched to enable real-time monitoring of project implementation, linked to the e-GP system, and ensures tenderers receive payments directly to their accounts.
He also mentioned the launch of e-audit and ongoing work to interconnect e-GP with the DVS system for verifying bidders’ financial statements online. Since the introduction of e-GP, the publication of tender notices improved from 70 percent in 2007 to 100 percent today. Additionally, the percentage of work orders awarded within the initial tender validity period has increased from 10 percent to 96.63 percent, with the average number of acceptable tenders per notice rising from 3 to 10.68.