Govt Pushes Reforms for Transparent Procurement

The government has reiterated its commitment to ensuring timely and effective implementation of development projects, aiming to prevent the misuse of public funds. With approximately US$30 billion spent annually on public procurement in Bangladesh, the emphasis on reforms is seen as critical to improving transparency and efficiency in the sector.

On average, around 1,500 projects are incorporated into the Annual Development Programme (ADP) each year. If these projects achieve their intended outcomes, the impact on the national economy could be significant.

Md. Mahfuzar Rahman, Director (Joint Secretary) of the Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority (BPPA), highlighted this while speaking as the chief guest at a workshop on public procurement reforms and e-Government Procurement (e-GP), held in Bhola district on Sunday.

The event, hosted at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office conference room, was chaired by Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate Md. Azad Jahan. Organized by the BPPA and facilitated by the Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs (BCCP), the workshop brought together representatives from local procuring entities, banks, tenderers, journalists, and BCCP staff.

“The current government is prioritizing reforms and transparency across all sectors. One of the key reforms in public procurement is the adoption of e-GP,” Rahman stated. He noted that currently, about 65 percent of public procurement is conducted through the e-GP system, with the goal to expand this to 100 percent.

The e-GP platform has earned recognition both nationally and internationally. “So far, delegations from 11 countries and five international organizations have reviewed Bangladesh’s e-GP system,” Rahman said.

He also introduced the e-Contract Management System (e-CMS), which allows real-time monitoring of project implementation and is integrated with the e-GP platform. Payments to contractors are now being directly transferred to their bank accounts.

Further digitization efforts include the launch of an e-Audit system and ongoing work to link the e-GP system with the Document Verification System (DVS) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh, enabling online verification of financial statements submitted by bidders.

Citing progress, Rahman mentioned that in 2007, only 70 percent of tender notices were published, whereas now the figure stands at 100 percent. Similarly, the proportion of work orders awarded within the initial tender validity period has improved dramatically—from just 10 percent in 2007 to 96.63 percent today. The average number of acceptable bids per tender has also increased from 3 to 10.68, reflecting improved competition and transparency.