Graft eats away up to 50pc of contract value
Minister tells public-private committee on procurement
Loss of government money from corruption or otherwise in projects involving public procurement is often as high as 40 to 50 percent of the contract value, Planning Minister AK Khandker said yesterday.(The Daily Star)
He also said public procurement with large financial involvement, either by design or by default, creates greater temptations or offer more opportunities for corruption or misuse of funds.
The newly formed Public-Private Stakeholders Committee (PPSC) aims at "citizen engagement" in monitoring the public procurement process, to ensure transparency and accountability, the minister added.He was addressing the first meeting of PPSC in the conference room of National Economic Council at the planning ministry secretariat.
Last month the government in a bid to bring more transparency to public procurement process formed the 27-member watchdog committee comprising representatives of its own and the private sector, with the planning minister at its helm.
Representatives of the Centre for Policy Dialogue, Transparency International Bangladesh, Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries, Bangladesh Association of Construction Industries, Bangladesh Association of Consulting Engineers, Brac, Proshika, and Dhaka Reporters' Unity are also in the committee.
The planning minister yesterday also said PPSC stands out as a unique expression of public-private partnership which is expected to devise ways for institutionalising social audit of public procurement.He identified the committee's area of work as a sensitive area in the country's striving for good governance.
According to a government circular, PPSC will annually evaluate the overall impact of the Public Procurement Act on the government's purchasing process. Any detected irregularity will be discussed in the committee meetings. It will also advise the government on any required change in the act.
The committee will also discuss procurement issues relating to any particular ministry, and will be able to form sub-committees at district levels, the circular added.
The first meeting of the committee was jointly organised by the government's Central Procurement Technical Unit, and the Institute of Governance Studies of Brac University.
In the meeting the members brainstormed the committee's future plans, and received information about pubic procurement laws and regulations.
He also said public procurement with large financial involvement, either by design or by default, creates greater temptations or offer more opportunities for corruption or misuse of funds.
The newly formed Public-Private Stakeholders Committee (PPSC) aims at "citizen engagement" in monitoring the public procurement process, to ensure transparency and accountability, the minister added.He was addressing the first meeting of PPSC in the conference room of National Economic Council at the planning ministry secretariat.
Last month the government in a bid to bring more transparency to public procurement process formed the 27-member watchdog committee comprising representatives of its own and the private sector, with the planning minister at its helm.
Representatives of the Centre for Policy Dialogue, Transparency International Bangladesh, Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries, Bangladesh Association of Construction Industries, Bangladesh Association of Consulting Engineers, Brac, Proshika, and Dhaka Reporters' Unity are also in the committee.
The planning minister yesterday also said PPSC stands out as a unique expression of public-private partnership which is expected to devise ways for institutionalising social audit of public procurement.He identified the committee's area of work as a sensitive area in the country's striving for good governance.
According to a government circular, PPSC will annually evaluate the overall impact of the Public Procurement Act on the government's purchasing process. Any detected irregularity will be discussed in the committee meetings. It will also advise the government on any required change in the act.
The committee will also discuss procurement issues relating to any particular ministry, and will be able to form sub-committees at district levels, the circular added.
The first meeting of the committee was jointly organised by the government's Central Procurement Technical Unit, and the Institute of Governance Studies of Brac University.
In the meeting the members brainstormed the committee's future plans, and received information about pubic procurement laws and regulations.
http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=124805
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