Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (Retd) Maqbool Bakar has said that the traditional procurement methods have their own set of challenges that can hinder efficiency, increase costs and sometimes compromise transparency. Therefore, the provincial government is launching an e-procurement system to address the challenges, he said. Justice (Retd) Maqbool Baqar said that it was important to recognize the effort that had gone into developing and implementing this e-procurement system and digitizing and automating different tasks can reduce the time it takes to complete procurement cycles and minimize errors.
This he said while speaking at the launching ceremony of the ‘e-Procurement System’ viz E-Pak Acquisition and Disposal System (EPDS) at a local hotel here Friday. The program was attended by Minister for Law and Chairman Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (SPPRA) Omar Soomro, DG Federal PPRA Maqbool Gondal, DG SPPRA Zubair Parvez, Director SPPRA Shadiya Jaffer and secretaries of various departments. He said that the provincial government’s top hierarchy and people from the civil society had come together to celebrate an important milestone in our quest for efficiency, transparency and innovation.
“Today marks the beginning of a new chapter as we have unveiled our e-procurement system, an advanced platform that will revolutionize the way we manage our public procurement procedures. As the world rapidly evolves, technology continues to reshape various industries, therefore, embracing innovation is not just an option, but a necessity, the CM said and added our decision to implement e-procurement demonstrated our commitment to staying ahead of the curve, leveraging technology to improve our operations and ultimately delivering better outcomes for our stakeholders. The chief minister lauded the initiative undertaken by the SPPRA, supported by the World Bank and Federal PPRA. “This initiative aims to enhance transparency, equity, and competitiveness in public procurement processes. The Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (SPPRA) successfully launched its state-of-the-art Electronic Procurement System (e-procurement), marking a significant leap forward in the realm of transparent, efficient, and accountable public procurement processes.
The event showcased the commitment of SPPRA to modernize public procurement practices, ensuring greater transparency, fairness, and competitiveness in the procurement landscape. The features of the E-Procurement System included user friendly Interface; the e-procurement system boasts an intuitive and user-friendly interface, simplifying the procurement process for both government entities and suppliers. Real-time Monitoring and Reporting; Stakeholders can now benefit from real-time monitoring and reporting features, providing instant access to procurement data, bid status, and project updates. Digital Document Management; the system facilitates the secure and efficient management of procurement documents, reducing paperwork, minimizing errors, and enhancing document traceability. Automated Bidding Process; the e-procurement system automates the entire bidding process, from announcement to bid submission and evaluation, streamlining workflows and ensuring a fair and competitive environment. Enhanced Security Measures; robust security protocols have been implemented to safeguard sensitive procurement data and ensure the integrity of the e-procurement system.
Sindh Law Minister Omar Soomro said that the system was efficient and transparent. He said that now no one would complain against the refusal of the tender form. Soomro said that in principle the provincial governments should have put the e-system in place but we made it when the World Bank pointed out that the provincial government needed to digitalize it.
