Complicated procedure: Train govt officials on procurement procedure, Shah tells SPPRA chief
Urges authority to grant approvals within 15 days
Urges authority to grant approvals within 15 days. PHOTO: ONLINE
KARACHI:
Strengthening the Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (SPPRA) is necessary for good governance and transparency but "the authority must simplify its system and conduct training programmes for relevant officers", said Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Qaim Ali Shah.
He was presiding over a meeting of SPPRA at CM House on Monday. Giving a presentation to the CM, SPPRA managing director Abdul Rahim Soomro said procurement is the act of acquiring, buying goods, services or works from external sources, adding that PPRA rules apply on procurements of over Rs1 million. However, most government departments do not follow procedure, he complained.
The CM replied by saying he has reports that SPPRA procedures take a lot of time. "This is not in the interest of the government if the works envisaged and approved in public interest are delayed in 'red-tapism'," he said.
Soomro explained that delays are not from their end and instead originate when government department send incomplete files for procurement approval. Shah said he had directed the SPPRA to start training programmes of officers of all provincial departments involved in procurements. Soomro informed him that two-day trainings of government officials have been completed in 15 districts and the rest are in the pipeline.
Soomro agreed with the CM's claim that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) intervenes in the work of SPPRA, saying the bureau presumes that corruption occurs in every procurement procedure. "We have trained the relevant NAB officers and now they are not interfering in our work and understand the nature of our job," he said.
The CM also urged the SPPRA chief to send a proposal to establish regional offices in Hyderabad and Sukkur. "This will reduce workload on the head office and the complaints of delay in disposal of files will also subside eventually," he said. Shah also urged the SPPRA to grant approval of procurement files and requests of government departments within 15 days.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 17th, 2016.
Strengthening the Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (SPPRA) is necessary for good governance and transparency but "the authority must simplify its system and conduct training programmes for relevant officers", said Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Qaim Ali Shah.
He was presiding over a meeting of SPPRA at CM House on Monday. Giving a presentation to the CM, SPPRA managing director Abdul Rahim Soomro said procurement is the act of acquiring, buying goods, services or works from external sources, adding that PPRA rules apply on procurements of over Rs1 million. However, most government departments do not follow procedure, he complained.
The CM replied by saying he has reports that SPPRA procedures take a lot of time. "This is not in the interest of the government if the works envisaged and approved in public interest are delayed in 'red-tapism'," he said.
Soomro explained that delays are not from their end and instead originate when government department send incomplete files for procurement approval. Shah said he had directed the SPPRA to start training programmes of officers of all provincial departments involved in procurements. Soomro informed him that two-day trainings of government officials have been completed in 15 districts and the rest are in the pipeline.
Soomro agreed with the CM's claim that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) intervenes in the work of SPPRA, saying the bureau presumes that corruption occurs in every procurement procedure. "We have trained the relevant NAB officers and now they are not interfering in our work and understand the nature of our job," he said.
The CM also urged the SPPRA chief to send a proposal to establish regional offices in Hyderabad and Sukkur. "This will reduce workload on the head office and the complaints of delay in disposal of files will also subside eventually," he said. Shah also urged the SPPRA to grant approval of procurement files and requests of government departments within 15 days.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 17th, 2016.