Latest news with #PPRA
Business Recorder
6 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
15-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
PPRA implements advanced e-PADS system
ISLAMABAD: The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) has successfully implemented an advanced e-procurement system, enabling registration of more than 28,000 suppliers including 400 foreign firms, Managing Director PPRA Hasnat Ahmed Qureshi informed on Wednesday. He stated that PPRA, following a robust framework and international standards, has introduced the e-Pak Acquisition & Disposal System (e-PADS), which has automated the entire procurement process. 'Thousands of vendors have already been registered on this modern e-procurement platform, including foreign companies which can now register within 24 hours after verification by the Federal Board of Revenue and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan,' Qureshi added. The MD PPRA said that suppliers can participate in public procurement from their mobile phones or laptops, and obstacles such as visiting the office and paying for tender documents have been removed. All the tasks— from procurement planning, tender submission, and bid analysis to awarding contracts— are now performed through a safe, innovative, and user-friendly online platform, he added. He elucidated that e-PADS is a foolproof automated system that entirely restricts human intervention, even no individual including MD PPRA could interfere in its operations. 'Regular security audits are conducted and access to records is made possible through the log system in case of complaints. This inbuilt security system and reduction of human interference is further promoting transparency and accountability,' he observed. He explained that in the wake of the 18th Constitutional Amendment, procurement being a provincial subject, provinces can enact their own procurement bodies and regulation frameworks. Despite the fact, all provinces including Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are using PPRA's e-PADS while Balochistan will adopt the platform in the coming month. He apprised that internet facilities have been improved in remote areas of the country, enabling supplier's accessibility to PPRA's e-procurement system. If any issues arise, vendors can seek assistance from provincial and federal PPRA through its helplines, which operates from 8am to midnight, and can visit offices in person to resolve any complex situation, he added. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Virginia schools assure compliance with parental rights laws
(Photo by Getty Images) Under the looming threat of federal consequences for inaction, all 136 local education agencies in the commonwealth — including public schools, the Virginia Juvenile Justice Center and Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind — have officially assured the Virginia Department of Education that they're complying with parental rights laws. On March 28, the U.S. Department of Education directed states to provide evidence that schools are complying with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) by April 30. These laws ensure parents have the right to inspect and review education records and student safety standards, and to be notified annually about their rights, military recruiter access to their child, and the school's overall compliance record. The federal agency sought the information after explaining that it has been 'overburdened' with reports of FERPA complaints that claim schools nationwide have been hiding information from parents, including gender transition records. 'As any mother would be, I have been appalled to learn how schools are routinely hiding information about the mental and physical health of their students from parents,' said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon in a March 28 letter. 'The practice of encouraging children down a path with irreversible repercussions — and hiding it from parents — must end.' The agency warned schools that if they failed to comply, they would face an investigation and loss of federal funding. The Virginia Department of Education, which provided the school compliance list to USDOE, stated all of the education agencies in the commonwealth 'exceed' federal FERPA expectations by following state law, which sets 'higher standards' for the disclosure of certain student data, such as contact information including addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers. Under FERPA, the contact information may be designated as 'directory information' and may be disclosed without the consent of a parent or eligible student, unless such person has opted out of such designation. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and his Republican colleagues have made parental rights a cornerstone of his administration and legislative efforts, repeatedly asserting that 'a parent has a fundamental right to make decisions concerning the upbringing, education, and care of the parent's child.' Youngkin's administration has enacted several measures to reinforce these rights, including policies requiring parents to be notified about drug overdoses and making mask-wearing in schools optional. The governor also adopted legislation mandating that parents be informed about sexually explicit instructional materials in school libraries. Last month, the governor tried to amend a bill by adding language from Sage's Law, a bill which would have required public school principals to notify at least one parent if a student questions their gender identity or requests the school's participation in social affirmation or transition to a different sex or gender. However, Youngkin's amendment was rejected. During the regular legislative session earlier this year, House lawmakers failed to take up the proposed Sage's Law bill, carried by Del. Nick Freitas, R-Culpeper, for a second straight year. Freitas carried the bill that was first introduced by then-Republican Del. Dave LaRock during the 2023 General Assembly Session. The bill died in the Democratic controlled Senate that year, after passing through the House controlled by Republicans. Last session, the General Assembly failed to consider the same bill, which Youngkin said 'allows parents to be informed of the decisions relating to the mental health of their child.' The failure of the Sage's Law bill was one of the reasons why the governor last week vetoed a bill, carried by Democrats, designed to encourage school boards to remind parents about the safe storage of firearms and prescription drugs. He also added that the bill as passed by the legislature mainly concentrates on those two parental responsibilities, 'omitting other legal obligations, like providing an environment free of abuse, neglect, and exploitation.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
What the State Superintendent says on federal investigation into WA's non-discrimination school laws
Last week, the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) issued a letter requesting states to certify compliance with the Department's interpretation of federal civil rights guidelines, or risk losing federal funding. Following that letter, the DOE and the Department of Justice are launching a 'first-of-its kind' investigation into the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) over the state's non-discrimination laws for schools. The suit alleges that OSPI is out of compliance with Title IX, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA). 'Multiple Washington State school districts have reported that OSPI is requiring school boards to adopt policies that allow males to participate in female sports and occupy female-only intimate facilities, thereby raising substantial Title IX concerns,' a DOE press release said. U.S. Secretary of Education, former WWE promoter Linda McMahon, said that the state 'appears to use its position of authority to coerce its districts into hiding 'gender identity' information from students' parents and to adopt policies to covertly smuggle gender ideology into the classroom, confusing students and letting boys into girls' sports, bathrooms, and locker rooms.' In response, State Superintendent Chris Reykdal said that the investigation is the 'latest [Trump] Administration's dangerous war against individuals who are transgender or gender-expansive.' 'Washington public schools have a responsibility to provide a safe and nondiscriminatory environment for all students, including transgender and gender-expansive students, so that all students can thrive. Since 2006, Washington state law has prohibited discrimination on the basis of gender identity, and the state has allowed students to participate in school-based athletics in alignment with their gender identity since 2007. These protections fit within the scope of what is allowed by federal law and have been successfully established and implemented for nearly two decades. Transgender and gender-expansive students are not the only students affected by gender and gender stereotypes at school. When schools affirmatively support gender diversity, all students are empowered to live more authentically and to take advantage of different opportunities that might not have otherwise been available," Reykdal said, in part, in a statement. McMahon said that the schools must 'abide by the law if they expect federal funding to continue.' Reykdal continued his statement with: A student's school should be a safe place where they can learn, thrive, and be their authentic self, and family involvement and acceptance are extremely beneficial to all students. Unfortunately, it is not safe for all individuals to open up to their family regarding gender identity, and family rejection related to an individual's gender identity results in increased odds of a suicide attempt and/or misusing drugs or alcohol. It is not the role of the school system to facilitate private conversations that should be happening between students and their parents or guardians, and the federal government should not force schools to play the role of parents when it comes to gender identity.
