The government is planning a major overhaul of the country’s public procurement framework by amending the Public Procurement Act (PPA) and the Public Procurement Rules (PPR) to create opportunities for new entrants, promote fair competition, and strengthen the institutional capacity of the Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority (BPPA).
State Minister for Planning Zonayed Saki disclosed the plan while addressing a stakeholder consultation workshop organised by the BPPA at the Bangladesh Planning Commission campus on Tuesday.
The workshop, managed by Dohatec New Media, focused on enhancing the electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) system, strengthening monitoring, and expanding the authority’s institutional capacity.
Saki observed that public procurement has gradually become concentrated among a limited group of participants over the years. He stressed the need to remove barriers to ensure a more competitive and inclusive environment.
“To achieve this, we need to amend both the Public Procurement Act and the Public Procurement Rules,” he said, adding that the consultation aimed to assess the BPPA’s capacity requirements.
BPPA Chief Executive Officer (Secretary) SM Moin Uddin Ahmed, who chaired the event, stated that the authority is committed to transforming the e-GP platform into a technology-driven, citizen-centric, and fully automated system.
He further announced plans to organise consultations at the divisional level involving users from district and Upazila levels to ensure the reform process reflects nationwide expectations. The government intends to incorporate recommendations from these consultations into the revised Act and Rules.
During the session, BPPA Director Shah Eyamin Ul Islam delivered a presentation titled “Legal Framework of Public Procurement, Achievements of the e-GP System, Challenges and Way Forward,” highlighting the country’s reform journey and existing challenges.
However, participants reviewed the proposed 110-member BPPA organogram and opined that the staffing strength would be inadequate to discharge growing responsibilities, including regulatory oversight, compliance monitoring, and nationwide capacity-building. They also emphasised the necessity for greater interoperability between the e-GP platform and other automated public-sector systems to improve transparency and service delivery.
Speaking as a Special Guest, Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) Secretary Shirajun Noor Chowdhury noted that delays in project implementation are primarily caused by land acquisition and procurement issues.
He stated that the government is placing the highest priority on the timely implementation of development projects.
Chowdhury also stressed the importance of expanding procurement training for ministry-level officials, noting that effective supervision requires a sound understanding of the procurement act, rules, and procedures.
The consultation saw participation from more than 30 representatives from procuring entities, business associations, government agencies, the private sector, academia, and the media.
