Latest news with #EPADS
Business Recorder
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Federal govt institutions: PPRA certifies 408 master trainers
ISLAMABAD: In a major initiative towards public procurement reform, the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA), Pakistan has successfully trained and certified 408 master trainers from federal government institutions under the prime minister's vision for good governance, efficiency, and transparency. Over the past one year, PPRA conducted 15 specialised training sessions to advance e-procurement adoption and strengthen compliance with procurement regulations. A ceremony was held at PPRA Headquarters, where PPRA Managing Director Hasnat Ahmed Qureshi awarded certificates to the participants. The certified trainers will now lead training sessions on the e-Pak Acquisition and Disposal System (EPADS) within their respective organisations, promoting a standardized and digital procurement approach across Pakistan. Addressing the participants, Qureshi emphasised the importance of capacity building, highlighting that for the first time in PPRA's history, a structured and comprehensive training initiative has been launched to institutionalise e-procurement. He further announced that PPRA is finalising an accreditation framework to enhance capacity building and human resource development. He urged master trainers to play an active role in procurement processes within their institutions, encouraging them to build capacity of their colleagues in effective EPADS utilisation, which is set to revolutionise public procurement in Pakistan. The certificate distribution ceremony was attended by senior PPRA officials, including Atiq Sultan Raja, senior specialist – Capacity Building; Abdul Majeed, senior specialist – Monitoring and Evaluation; Farukh Bashir, director – Training; and other officers. Aligned with the prime minister's vision, procurement cells are being established across federal ministries, divisions, attached departments, autonomous bodies, and state-owned entities. The PPRA is implementing a comprehensive training programme to ensure the effective implementation of EPADS and compliance with the Public Procurement Regulatory Framework. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
31-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
PPRA holds consultative meeting on draft rules
ISLAMABAD: In a bid to obtain constructive feedback and recommendations on Draft Public Procurement Rules, 2025, Pakistan's Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) organised a consultative meeting on Friday, bringing together suppliers and vendors. The consultation was part of an ongoing effort to ensure inclusivity, transparency, efficiency, and global best practices in Pakistan's Public Procurement Framework. The Managing Director PPRA, Hasnat Ahmed Qureshi, chaired the meeting which was attended by representatives from the Pakistan Council of Architecture and Town Planners, the Construction Association of Pakistan, the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Islamabad Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Islamabad Industrial Association, and All Pakistan Security Agencies Association. Senior officers from PPRA were also present on the occasion. PPRAMD Hasnat Ahmed Qureshi provided an in-depth overview of the newly developed procurement rules, highlighting that the rules foster efficiency transparency, and accountability through the establishment of procurement cells in government institutions, the introduction of third-party evaluations and grievance redressal mechanisms, redesigned procurement process flow, innovative procurement methods, integrated contract management, cross-department and national blacklisting system. He highlighted that in line with vision of prime minister of Pakistan to ensure transparency, efficiency and accountability in public procurement, the e-Pak Acquisition & Disposal System (EPADS) is fully implemented in federal procuring agencies and provinces of Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, catering to the needs of around 10,000 procuring entities and more than 30,000 registered suppliers. It is providing end to end solutions, beginning from procurement planning to payment substantially reducing human involvement. 'A system without integrity is meaningless,' Qureshi remarked and informed participants that comprehensive security audit of the modern e-procurement system had been conducted, confirming its operations as secure and fully compliant with regulatory standards. He informed that PPRA has already launched a full-fledged and robust training programme to ensure capacity building of public sector professionals, suppliers, and vendors that would help to enhance efficiency and decrease the ratio of mis-procurements, encouraging the participants to avail the opportunities of training on PPRA regulations and EPADS operation. During the discussion, the participants provided valuable input on key aspects of the regulatory framework including bid evaluation criteria, e-procurement mechanism and allied challenges, and implementation of EPADS, suggesting that the new regulations must serve the interest of both public sector organisations and private sector suppliers. MD PPRA encouraged the participants to submit written recommendations that will be duly incorporated in the final draft of the Public Procurement Rules 2025. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
18-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Cracking down on collusion — finally
EDITORIAL: It's a wonder that it took authorities this long to acknowledge what had been obvious to the market for years. The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) to crack down on bid rigging, price fixing, and collusive tendering is, on the surface, a welcome and long-overdue development. The scale of procurement abuse in the public sector has been staggering, draining national resources and distorting market behaviour in ways that have repeatedly punished both taxpayers and honest businesses. That it took so long for key enforcement agencies to formally coordinate efforts against these 'mega crimes against the economy,' as the NAB chief finally termed them, speaks volumes about misplaced priorities and wilful neglect. Still, better late than never. The strategic value of institutional cooperation cannot be understated. Collusion in public procurement tends to fall through the cracks of enforcement when responsibility is scattered across multiple bodies—some criminal, some regulatory – without a unified approach or formal communication channels. The MoU, by outlining a framework for joint investigations, intelligence sharing, and capacity building, creates a much-needed bridge between criminal and civil jurisdictions. It is encouraging that CCP's analytical capacity will now complement NAB's prosecutorial reach, especially in cases where cartel behaviour crosses the threshold from regulatory violation into criminal conspiracy. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. For this to be more than a token gesture, it must break free from the legacy of politicised enforcement that has dogged NAB for decades. Successive governments, regardless of ideological stripes, have used NAB as a tool to harass and cripple political opponents, often while turning a blind eye to corruption within their own ranks. That reputation is well-earned, and it will not be easy to shed. If NAB's new partnership with CCP is to have any credibility, it must be seen to target corruption and collusion across the board, without fear or favour, and most importantly, without political interference. In this regard, the emphasis on data analytics could prove decisive. Unlike politically motivated investigations built on selective leaks and questionable testimony, data doesn't lie. CCP's recent exposure of a bid-rigging cartel among electricity distribution companies demonstrates the power of technology-driven oversight. With advanced analytical tools and procurement datasets such as EPADS now feeding into the enforcement process, it is possible to identify pricing anomalies, coordinated bidding patterns, and market abuse with precision and objectivity. This can help shift the culture of enforcement away from theatrics and towards results – towards a regime where actions are guided not by who the accused is, but by what the data says. It is also worth noting that the MoU includes provisions for reviewing procurement regulations and plugging loopholes that allow collusive practices to flourish in the first place. This is important. Too often, the state reacts to corruption only after the damage is done. A proactive approach that leverages data to reform policy, redesign tender processes, and eliminate perverse incentives could deliver far more sustainable outcomes than prosecutions alone. Still, the institutional limitations of both NAB and CCP cannot be ignored. CCP has often lacked teeth, constrained by limited enforcement powers and bureaucratic inertia. NAB, for its part, is overextended, controversial, and frequently distracted by politically engineered assignments. That is why this new alliance must be closely watched – not just to assess its effectiveness, but also to ensure it does not devolve into another instrument of selective accountability. Ultimately, transparency, accountability, and fairness must be the guiding principles of this new phase in enforcement. The public has heard too many grand promises and seen too little follow-throughs. If NAB and CCP are serious about cleaning up public procurement, they must let data lead the way – and have the institutional discipline to follow it wherever it goes. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
