Public procurement like other sectors in Bangladesh is facing corruption and irregularities. We often pin point reasons for corruption and discuss ways to root out the malpractice, but different sectors of the country are still in grip of this social ill. Experts say that unless transparency and accountability is ensured, we cannot think of eradicating corruption from the society.
Country’s economic development is slowed down by rampant corruption and malpractices in public procurement. According to sources, about 75 per cent of the Annual Development Plan (ADP) is spent on public procurement activities. Such a large amount of money attracts fraudulent stakeholders to the sector that result in immense corruption.
A news item headlined “Corruption can be rooted out through integraty” was published in the Thursday’s issue of the Bangladesh Post. Speaking at the learning session titled “Public Procurement Management (PPR-2025),” Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Land ASM Saleh said “If we conduct procurement activities following rules and using technology effectively.”
ASM Saleh noted that PPR-2025 plays a vital role in in making government administration dynamic, transparent and accountable, saying the introduction of e-GP (Electronic Government Procurement) has brought a revolutionary change in the procurement process. From tender invitation to evaluation and contract signing, all steps have been taken to ensure transparent procurement process, he added.
He also stressed all concerned should work with integrity and ethics to contain corruption and irregularities in public procurement and in other sectors of the country.
Government agencies concerned follow some mechanisms and methods of public procurement. Findings of a study revealed major inconsistencies between procurement-related decisions and regulations and also exposed loopholes in the existing policies. The prime objective of the study was to identify the problems in the existing mechanisms of public procurement.
The study sheds light on many cross-cutting issues that negatively affect public procurement in Bangladesh. Bidders accuse senior government officials of delivering decisions that are inconsistent with PPA/PPR. The study also found that misinterpreting the needs and formulating a budget for the subsequent year based on that misinterpretation, also opens door to corruption. Some of PEs also lack efficiency in estimating the cost. Bidders seize this opportunity to inflate the prices of the materials in the cost estimation. The study findings show that the tendering authority does not guarantee timely distribution of the allocated fund which affects the quality of construction work. The most cited allegation regarding the bidding process, however, is the lack of tender notice and advertisement. Contractors and civil society members complained that not publishing tender notices in the newspaper allows room for corruption.
We hope the steps taken by the government taken will greatly help reduce corruption in the public procurement process.
