A welcome step
Going electronic in procurement
Prime Minster Sheikh Hasina flagged off electronic government procurement (e-GP) system in Dhaka last Thursday. In the first phase e-tendering is to be introduced in four procuring agencies such as LGED, Roads and Highways, Bangladesh Water Development Board and Rural Electrification Board. Eventually, 308 procuring entities (PEs) would be brought under the system.
Since 75 percent funds of the annual development programme is used for public procurement, the government has the natural obligation to ensure transparency, accountability and purposefulness in the procurement processes. Its responsibility is basically three fold; first, professional and qualified bidders should have access to tendering process. Second, the procedures should be straightforward, uncluttered by bureaucracy. Three, merit and capacity to deliver quality goods and services should be the criterion for winning work orders. E-tendering could go a long way in meeting all the above conditions.
The e-GP is a single web portal from where and through which public procurement agencies and entities will be able to conduct their procurement related activities with transparency and accountability. For their part, the bidders and tender applicants will not only save time but also have a level playing field.
Previously, a lot of tension would have been created around submission of tender as people close to the powerful and the influential scrambled for monopolising it. This would now be largely obviated establishing transparency and accountability in the system. In the process, it is the government's credibility that will be enhanced with that of the agencies' concerned. Corruption, as a whole, should come down to a great extent.
There have been allegations of irregularities in the government procurement for a long time now. There is no substitute for e-tendering to curb these.
The imperative now is to implement the system successfully. Because it is on the basis of dividends of the limited e-tendering that the programme will be expanded to cover other areas of public dealings.
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