The Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority (BPPA) has stepped up its nationwide training programme on the electronic government procurement (e-GP) system as it seeks to strengthen the capacity of public agencies amid the expanding use of mandatory digital procurement.
The authority said it has adopted a decentralised training model, organising courses in Dhaka and other parts of the country using the training facilities of various government agencies. The programmes are being financed from BPPA’s own funds to meet growing demand for e-GP capacity building.
A five-day training course began on Tuesday at the Bangladesh Computer Council’s training laboratory in Agargaon, Dhaka, with 31 officials from different government procuring entities taking part. The programme will continue until 21 July.
Speaking at the inaugural session, BPPA Chief Executive Officer and Secretary S M Moin Uddin Ahmed said strengthening the skills of procurement officials is essential as the use of the e-GP platform is mandatory under the Public Procurement Act.
“The use of e-GP is mandatory under the Public Procurement Act. Therefore, building the capacity of all stakeholders is essential. We have decentralised the training programme across different parts of the country to accommodate the growing number of e-GP users,” he said.
Bangladesh Computer Council Executive Director Nahid Sultana Mallik, who presided over the opening session, said the council would continue supporting such initiatives through its training facilities.
BPPA Director Mohammed Salah Uddin attended the inaugural ceremony, while Directors Harun Or Rashid and Mohammad Ali Ahmed Khan are serving as resource persons for the course.
Training sessions are being held daily from 9:00am to 4:00pm, except on weekly holidays.
