PM directs for third party validation of projects worth over Rs2bn

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday directed the relevant authorities to conduct third party validation of all the development projects worth of over Rs2 billion.
Chairing a review meeting regarding Electronic Procurement, E-Pak Acquisition and Disposal System/E-PADS at the PM House, the prime minister directed the relevant authorities to ensure third party validation to make the grievances and concerns redressal system effective in relation to the procurement process.
The grievance redressal system with respect to the procurement process should not be under the procuring agency, he said.
He also directed measures for amendments in the rules and regulations in this regard, the official news agency reported.
He said the government was taking measures to introduce transparent procedures for all types of government purchases.
The prime minister expressed anger over the delay in implementation of the project and also showed concerns over its quality.
He also ordered to complete the project within a month.
In the meeting, the prime minister was also briefed on e-procurement. He was told that the e-procurement project was launched by the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority in 2017 with a World Bank funding worth US$45 million.
The prime minister was informed that e-procurement had been implemented in 37 ministries and 301 procuring agencies of the federal government.
PPRA has so far trained some 8,988 officials of procuring agencies.
Furthermore, it was told that the federal government’s e-procurement volume was about Rs1,551 billion.
MoUs have also been signed with the governments of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Jammu and Kashmir regarding e-procurement, the meeting was informed.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister for Economic Affairs Division Ahad Khan Cheema, Minister for Petroleum Musadik Malik, PM’s Coordinator Rana Ihsaan Afzal and other relevant high officials.