ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday directed for third-party validation of all development projects above Rs2 billion.

While presiding over a meeting regarding electronic procurement, e-Pak acquisition and disposal system (and disposal system e-Pak acquisition (e-PADS), he said the government is taking strong steps to introduce transparent procedures for all types of procurement.

He directed third-party validation that will effectively redress grievances and concerns in procurement process. He added that the system for redressal of grievances and concerns regarding the procurement process should not be subordinated to the procuring agency.

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The premier said that steps should be taken to amend the rules and regulations in this regard. While briefing on e-procurement, the prime minister was told that e-procurement project was launched by Public Procurement Regula-tory Authority in 2017 with the World Bank funding with a total cost of $45 million.

The meeting was further told that e-procurement has been implemented in 37 ministries and 301 procuring agencies of the federal government and 8,988 officials of procuring agencies have been trained in e-procurement by PPRA. The meeting was further told that federal government’s e-procurement volume is about Rs1,551 billion and MoUs have been signed with the governments of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Jammu and Kashmir regarding e-procurement.

The prime minister expressed his displeasure over slow implementation of the project as well as its quality and process of the work and directed to complete the project in one month.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024