Senior government officials in two separate workshops in Bandarban district and Chakaria upazila of Cox’s Bazar district laid emphasis on ensuring transparency and accountability in public procurement through using the e-GP system which is now more effective upon inclusion of electronic contract management.  This would ensure value of money and thus prevent waste of public funds.

Mr. Abul Kashem Md. Mohiuddin, Secretary, Implementation Monitoring & Evaluation Division (IMED), attended a workshop organized by the Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority (BPPA) on its functions and e-GP at the conference room of the Bandarban Deputy Commissioner’s Office on December 19, 2024.

The event was chaired by BPPA’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Mirza Ashfaqur Rahman, and attended by Bandarban Deputy Commissioner Shah Mojahid Uddin, Municipal Administrator S.M. Manjurul Haque, Additional Deputy Commissioner Abu Taleb, and representatives from various government procuring entities, tenderers, banks, and media.

Speaking as the chief guest at the workshop IMED secretary said, contract management in public procurement is now being conducted through the e-GP system. Bangladesh's progress in e-GP has garnered global recognition, with representatives from 11 countries and 5 international organizations visiting Bangladesh to learn about its success. The e-GP system has also earned four international ISO certifications, underscoring its excellence both nationally and internationally.

Mr. Mirza Ashfaqur Rahman highlighted that approximately 65% of public procurement in volume is currently processed through e-GP. This digital transformation has reduced the average procurement processing time from 87.7 days to 57 days. Moreover, 100% of tender notices and contract awards are now published in the e-GP system.

He noted the significant cost savings achieved through e-GP, including $600 million annually, along with the conservation of 105.3 million pages of paper and the reduction of 154,000 tons of carbon emissions.

The IMED Secretary emphasized the government’s responsibility to reform laws and regulations across all sectors. He mentioned that IMED has launched the electronic Project Management Information System (e-PMIS) portal to ensure continuous monitoring of project implementation progress.

Mr. Mohiuddin also outlined key reforms, particularly the removal of the +/-10% price quoting provision in tenders, which he identified as a major issue. The government has responded by directing appropriate revisions through inter-ministerial meeting.

The meeting reflected BPPA's continued efforts to enhance public procurement efficiency and align it with international best practices.

Earlier on December 18, 2024, Mr. Mirza Ashfaqur Rahman, Chief Executive Officer of Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority (BPPA), attended at a workshop on BPPA functions and electronic-Government Procurement (e-GP) as the Chief Guest at Chakaria Upazila in Cox's Bazar.

Speaking at the event, he said, eighty per cent of the country's development budget is spent on public procurement and addressing inefficiencies in this process is imperative. The government is actively working towards minimizing waste in public procurement.

The workshop, organized by BPPA, was presided over by Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mr. Mohammad Atikur Rahman. The Bangladesh Center for Communications Programs (BCCP) provided management support to the events.

Approximately 35 participants, including local tenderers, representatives of procuring entities, and journalists, attended the program. Mr. Mohammad Abdus Salam, Deputy Program Director of BCCP, moderated the session.

In his address, Mr. Rahman emphasized that the e-GP system has significantly enhanced transparency in public procurement. While only 70% of tender notices were published in the media in 2007, this figure reached 100% by 2024.

The system has also improved efficiency in public procurement. In 2007, only 10% of work orders were issued within the initial validity period of tenders, whereas this figure rose to 96.63% in 2024.