Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (Cabinet Division)

Annual Report 2014-15

MISSION

To promote fair and open competition, procure quality product and services and regulate

the public procurement system while maintaining public interests.

VISION

Establishment of self-sustained public procurement system offering best value for money

to all stakeholders.

Annual Report 2014-15

Public Procurement Regulatory Authority

CONTENTS 1. The Chairman’s Message ........................................................................................... 1

2. Foreword .................................................................................................................... 2

3. The Authority .............................................................................................................. 3

3.1 Status of the Authority ........................................................................................... 3

3.2 Composition of PPRA Board ................................................................................. 4

3.3 Powers and Functions ........................................................................................... 5

Approved Organogram from PPRA Board ............................................................ 7

3.4 Existing Strength .................................................................................................. 8

3.5 Current Organizational Structure of PPRA ............................................................ 9

4. Role of PPRA in Procurement Sector ....................................................................... 10

5. Monitoring & Implementation .................................................................................... 11

6. Complaint Handling Mechanism ............................................................................... 12

7. Online Query System ................................................................................................ 13

8. Guidance on Interpretation of Rules ......................................................................... 13

9. Advisory Group on Public Procurement (AGPP) ...................................................... 14

10. Pakistan become Observer to GPA on 27th February, 2015 ............................. 15

11. PPRA Developed Standard Formats of Advertisement for procurement of Goods, Works and Non-Consulting Services, Expression of Interest (EOI) and Proposals for Pre-Qualification ................................................................................ 16

12. Finalization of Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Framework of PPRA ...................... 16

13. Awareness seminar on use of procureement agetns held in Islamabad ........ 16

14. E-Procurement Strategy ...................................................................................... 17

15. Training Strategy ................................................................................................... 18

16. Capacity Building ................................................................................................. 19

17. PPRA Newsletter .................................................................................................. 21

18. Suppliers Registration ......................................................................................... 22

19. Court Cases relating to Public Procurement ..................................................... 22

1. The Chairman’s Message

Public financial management is vital to preserve the national resources and to

promote economic development. An effective implementation of legal framework of public

procurement can play important role in realizing such goals through ensuring transparency,

accountability and value for money in procurement of goods, services and works. Public

procurement, in one form or the other, accounts for 70% of government expenditure in

developing countries. It is common understanding that procurement is the government

activity most vulnerable to waste, fraud and corruption due to its complexity, the size of the

financial flows and the close interaction between the public and the private sectors. I

appreciate the efforts of PPRA in monitoring and implementation of public procurement

laws, rules and procedures in productive manner, which has contributed to the marked

decrease in violation of procurement rules. Besides a number of initiatives taken so far,

PPRA has finalized two strategies, viz., e-Procurement Strategy and the Training Strategy. I

hope the strategies, once implemented, will go a long way in paving way for better efficiency

& more transparency in public procurements and enhanced capacities of the public sector

organizations too. I am sure PPRA will remain committed to providing uninterrupted

advisory and facilitative services to stakeholders of Public Private Sector within the ambit of

its legal framework.

The Annual Report is an epitome of the activities undertaken by PPRA during

the year 2014-15, which reflects marked improvement in regulatory oversight resulting in

positive indicators of observance of rules, fairness, competitiveness and transparency in

public procurements.

Dr. Waqar Masood Khan Finance Secretary, Govt. of Pakistan/

Chairman, Public Procurement Regulatory

Authority Board

2. Foreword

Public Procurement is an imperative function of the financial management

strategy of Federal Government. Public Procurement Rules enhances the efficient allocation

& utilization of resources for the effective delivery of strategic priorities, which are the road

map to our national growth and development.

2. In the Year 2015 PPRA performed its functions impressively and took

provincial PPRAs and International organizations on board while taking critical strategic

decisions. Special emphasis was given on workshops and capacity building activities

resulting in strengthening of procurement regime in the country and put extra emphasis to

ensure effective public procurement practices and attainment of “value for money”.

3. During the currency of year 2015, all the Government Organizations,

including Ministries, Divisions, Corporations, Authorities etc., have shown profound interest

in implementation of Pubic Procurements rules. I would like to register my sincere

appreciation to Cabinet Division & Finance Division for their support and confidence in

PPRA to strengthen procurement regime in the country. I would also like to thank my

Chairperson and Members of PPRA Board for their devoted service to PPRA and providing

guidelines to PPRA during the year. Many thanks also go to all Heads of Departments and

their teams for interest in observance of Public Procurement Rules which has contributed to

lowering deviation from Public Procurement Rules from 92% to 10% in year 2015. Annual

Report (FY 2014-15) is an emblem of Authorities sincere efforts in this regard.

( Nazrat Bashir ) Managing Director

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3. The Authority Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) was established in the year 2002,

under the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority Ordinance 2002 to build and strengthen

Government capacity to develop a modern transparent and cost effective public procurement

system and regulate public sector procurement of goods, services and works with a view to

achieving transparency, accountability and quality of public procurement, improving

governance and management.

3.1 Status of The Authority The status of PPRA is a body corporate as defined in PPRA Ordinance 2002. The

Authority shall have perpetual succession and a common seal, with powers subject to the

provisions of this Ordinance, to acquire and hold property, both moveable and immovable, and,

sue and be sued by the name assigned to it.

3.2 Composition of PPRA Board

The Management of PPRA, as defined under Section 6 of PPRA Ordinance, is vested in

its Board, which is the apex decision making body for overall direction and administration of the

Authority. The Board consists of the following members:-

(1) Secretary, Finance Division Chairman (2) Secretary, Ministry of Industries and Production Member (3) Secretary, Defence Production Division Member (4) Secretary, Ministry of Water and Power Member (5) Secretary, Ministry of Housing and works Member (6) Secretary, Ministry of Communications Member (7) Three Members from private sector Members (8) Managing Director, PPRA Member

Federal Government nominates the three members from private sector. The private sector members are appointed for a term of three years and shall be entitled to such terms and conditions as the Federal Government may determine.

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MEMBERS OF PPRA BOARD

Waqar Masood Khan

Chairman

Shafqat Hussain Naghmi Member

Lt. Gen. Tanvir Tahir (Retd) HI(M) Member

Saif Ullah Chattha Member

Naveed Akram Cheema Member

M. Arshad Bhatti Member

Nazrat Bashir Member / Secretary

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3.3 Powers and Functions Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) is mandated to improve

governance, management, transparency, accountability and quality of procurement of goods,

services and works in the public sector. The Authority is entrusted with the functions defined

under Section 5 of the PPRA Ordinance which are described below:

1. Subject to other provisions of PPRA Ordinance 2002, the Authority may take

such measures and exercise such powers as may be necessary for improving

governance, management, transparency, accountability and quality of public

procurement of goods, services and works in the public sector.

2. Without prejudice to the generality of the powers conferred by sub section

(1), above the Authority may

a) monitor application of the laws, rules, regulations, policies and

procedures in respect of, or relating to, procurement;

b) monitor the implementation of and evaluate laws, rules, regulations,

policies and procedures in respect of, or relating to, inspection or quality

of goods, services and works and recommend reformulation thereof or

revisions therein as it deems necessary;

c) recommend to the Federal Government revisions in or formulation of new

laws, rules and policies in respect of or related to public procurement;

d) make regulations and lay down codes of ethics and procedures for public

procurement, inspection or quality of goods, services and works;

e) monitor public procurement practices and make recommendations to

improve governance, transparency, accountability and quality of public

procurement;

f) monitor overall performance of procuring agencies and make

recommendations for improvements in their institutional set up;

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g) provide and coordinate assistance to procuring agencies for developing

and improving their institutional framework and public procurement

activities;

h) submit reports to the Government in respect of public procurement

activities of procuring agencies;

i) call any functionary of procuring agencies to provide assistance in its

functions and call for any information from such agencies in pursuance of

its objectives and functions; and

j) perform any other function assigned to it by the Federal Government or

that is incidental or consequential to any of the aforesaid functions.

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*

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3.4 Existing Strength Rank Wise/ Scale Wise Vacancies

Rank Wise/ Scale

Wise Vacancies

Scale / PPRA

Scale

Posts

Filled/Existing

Strength

Managing Director BS 22 1

Director General BS 20 1

Director BS 19 2

Deputy Director BS 18 2

Assistant Director BS 17 3

Private Secretary BS 17 1

Web Designer BS 16 1

APS BS 16 2

Web Analyst BS 15 1

Assistant BS 15 2

Stenographer BS 15 1

Stenotypist BS 12 1

Hardware

Technician BS 12 1

Cashier BS 12 1

UDC BS 09 3

Data Entry Operator BS 07 1

LDC BS 07 6

Driver BS 04 5

D.R BS 04 2

Naib Qasid BS 01 11

Sweeper BS 01 1

Total 49

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3.5 Current Organizational Structure of PPRA

Managing Director

Director -I Director-II

Deputy Director (Legal)

Assistant Director II

Assistant Director III

Assistant Director I

Director General

Deputy Director (Admn)

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4. ROLE OF PPRA IN PROCUREMENT SECTOR

Public Procurement Regulatory Authority is a statutory autonomous body of

Federal Government established under the PPRA Ordinance 2002 No. XXII dated 15th May,

2002. The Authority was formed for the development of procurement framework of the Public

Sector covering goods, work and services. In 2004, the Authority drafted and Government

promulgated new procurement rules conforming to international best practice applicable on

procurement carried out by the Federal Government line departments, state owned enterprises

and semi-autonomous organizations.

2. This Authority in compliance to functions as mandated in PPRA Ordinance,

2002, is monitoring public procurements in conformity with Public Procurement Rules, 2004.

PPRA is monitoring all the advertisements relating to procurements, on real time basis, with a

view to ensure compliance with public procurement Rules-2004. Violations to Public

Procurement Rules are identified and got rectified from the procuring agencies. During FY

2014-15 a total of 31,844 tenders of Public Sector Organizations have been uploaded/

monitored, wherein 4,304 deviations from the Public Procurement Rules -2004 have been

pointed out to the heads of concerned procuring agencies, for taking remedial measures.

3. PPRA is constantly disseminating awareness of Public Procurements Rules,

2004 among Public Officials through training courses. In the year 2009, the PPRA training

activities were formalized through the establishment of National Institute of Procurement. So

far, more than 4950 Public officials have been trained.

4. Public Procurement Regulatory Authority formed an Advisory Group on Public

Procurement (AGPP) to share knowledge and experience among all PPRAs and harmonization

of Public Procurement rules and procedures around recognized standards etc. As part of

endeavor of strengthening public procurement regime in Pakistan, PPRA in collaboration with

Assessment and Strengthening Program ASP-RSPN organized the several meetings of the

Advisory Group on Public Procurement.

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5. PPRA has organized Second South Asia Regional Public Procurement

Conference in collaboration with ADB and World Bank. The Chair of Second South Asia

Regional Public Procurement Conference was transferred to Pakistan for next two years. The

conference was an annual learning and networking event for the heads of public procurement of

the eight South Asian countries and was a follow up to the one held in Kathmandu in April

2011 hosted by the government of Nepal.

6. Public Procurement is a key economic activity of Government that represents a

significant percentage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) generating huge financial flows.

An effective procurement system plays a strategic role in governance for avoiding

mismanagement and waste of public funds. The weak governance in public procurement

hinders market competition, as it raises the cost of development activities directly impacting

expenditures.

7. A well-functioning procurement system ensures; better value for money,

increased efficiency and effectiveness of delivery, reduces the potential for corruption, positive

impact on a country’s investment climate, non-discriminatory practices, transparency and

accountability. Good governance encompasses a functioning regulatory system, as well as

institutional set-up, well designed processes and proven capacity. Strategic approaches to

procurement, as well as the knowledge transfer of good procurement practice and capacity

building within procurement functions toward National government procurement entities assist

in the development of good governance practices. PPRA has therefore a strategic role in Public

Procurement Sector.

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5. MONITORING & IMPLEMENTATION

One of the main functions of PPRA is to monitor public procurements to ensure

their compliance with Public Procurement Rules 2004. For this purpose the Authority has

established a web portal where tenders issued by all procuring agencies are uploaded for

advertisement and wider circulation. Additional feature of PPRA website is the development of

web page for the suppliers. PPRA is monitoring all the advertisements relating to procurements

on real time basis with a view to ensure compliance with Public Procurement Rules – 2004.

Violations of the Public Procurement Rules are identified and got rectified from the procuring

agencies. During FY 2014-15 a total of 31,844 tender notices of Public Sector Organizations

were uploaded/ monitored, wherein 4304 deviations from the Public Procurement Rules – 2004

have been pointed out in FY 2014-15 to the heads of the concerned procuring agencies for taking

remedial measures.

PERIOD TENDER

UPLOADED

VIOLATIONS

INDICATED /

LETTERS

ISSUED

% OF

VIOLATION

S

01-07-2014

to

30-06-2015

31844 4304 13.52

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6. COMPLAINT HANDLING MECHANISM

Under the PPRA Ordinance 2002 and the Public Procurement Rules 2004, PPRA

does not enjoy any powers to address grievances of the bidders and suppliers before or after the

award of contracts. Under Rule (48) of the PPRA, 2004 any bidder feeling aggrieved by any act

of the procuring agency after submission of his bid may lodge a written complaint to the

procuring agency concerning his grievance not later than fifteen days after the announcement of

the bid evaluation report.

2. The bidders, who made complaints to the Authority, were advised under Rules 48

(2) of the PPRA 2004 to approach the procuring agencies directly for redressal of their

grievances. Complaints received from the bidders were forwarded to the concerned procuring

agencies for submission of a report. The reports so received were then analyzed and advice

tendered to improve governance, transparency, accountability and quality of public procurement.

7. ONLINE QUERY SYSTEM

An advanced Online Query System was designed by PPRA in December, 2012.

This system added some new additional features in the previous online system, which among

others, include registration of the users for online query submission. In this respect a registration

form has been designed which is also available at PPRA website. The user either a procuring

agency or a bidder is required to fill this form before submission of queries. After entering user

name and password every time, the registered user can submit online queries as and when

needed. PPRA examined and responded to all such queries in the light of PPRA Ordinance,

2002, Public Procurement Rules, 2004 and the relevant regulations made thereunder. The reply

furnished by PPRA in response to all online queries is also visible to general public for their

guidance as well. During the period from 1st July, 2014 – 30th June, 2015, four hundred forty

seven (447) online queries were responded by PPRA as per following:-

Financial Year Online queries replied by this Authority

2014-15 447

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8. GUIDANCE ON INTERPRETATION OF RULES

PPRA is extending necessary guidance to all procuring agencies and the bidders

in response to their request for clarification of Public Procurement Rules, 2004. During the

2014-15 public sector entities continued to seek legal clarifications, interpretation of rules and

regulations pertaining to different aspects of procurement such as selection of single qualified

bidder, expiry of bid validity period, purchase of books, procurement by NGOs, applicability of

Public Procurement Rules, 2004 to public private partnership (PPP), insurance services, training

matters and medical services, constitution of purchase committees, acceptance of conditional

bids, determination of scoring ratio in evaluation of bids, payment of taxes imposed after

declaring the lowest evaluated bidder, prequalification of suppliers / contractors and purchase of

vehicles assembled in Pakistan etc. All these requests of procuring agencies were promptly

processed and advice tendered.

9. ADVISORY GROUP ON PUBLIC PROCUREMENT (AGPP)

Advisory Group on Public Procurement (AGPP) was formed in April 2013 with

the objective to bring all stakeholders together on one platform to create partnerships and

provide support to strengthen the public procurement system at federal and provincial levels.

The AGPP is composed of Federal and Provincial PPRAs. The second meeting of the Advisory

Group on Public Procurement (AGPP) was held on September 2-3, 2013 in Islamabad. The main

agenda was to finalize the draft National Procurement Strategy that has been developed under

the aegis of PPRA. Representatives of federal and provincial PPRAs, officers of Finance

Departments of the provinces and procurement specialists of international development agencies

participated in the two day event. Formulation of National Procurement Strategy was taken as

the first step to push forward the reform agenda in a systematic and holistic manner.

Subsequently, PPRA developed Monitoring & Evaluation Framework as a result

of this meeting. The 3rd meeting of the Advisory Group on Public Procurement (AGPP) was

held under the chairmanship of MD PPRA on 25th September, 2014. The objective of the

meeting was to discuss and finalize the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework for

PPRA. The initiative is likely to make the Authority more effective and result oriented with

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ultimate goal to improve the procurement governance. The workshop was attended by senior

management of PPRA from federal and all provincial PPRAs. Procurement experts from donors

including World Bank (WB), Asian Development Bank (ADB) as well as a team of USAID and

ASP-RSPN participated. Dr. Ateeq-urRehman, M&E expert gave a presentation on draft M&E

framework developed for PPRA. The draft M&E framework is based on five pillars namely

Improved laws & procedures, increased compliance of laws / rules / regulations, Effective

competition, Enhanced capacities in public procurement and Redressal of stakeholders

grievances. Based on the discussion held in the meetings, the framework will be further refined

and indicators will be further improved. MD PPRA thanked all participants for their valuable

feedback and suggestion in finalization of M & E Framework. For future AGPP workshops, it

was decided that maximum use of available resources would be made while avoiding the

unnecessary duplications. Besides discussing the Public Private Partnership (PPP) in future, it

was concluded that training of staff is required to help enhance their skills; therefore

development of a procurement cadre was proposed to achieve the overreaching goal of public

procurement.

Participants of the 3rd Meeting of the Advisory Group on Public Procurement (AGPP) held in Islamabad

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10. PAKISTAN BECAME OBSERVER TO AGREEMENT ON GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT (GPA) ON 27th FEBRUARY, 2015

In recognition of legal framework of public procurement being compliant to

international standards, Pakistan has been accorded the status of “Observer” to the Agreement on

Government Procurement (GPA). Pakistan has already undertaken domestic procurement

reforms and has developed a strategy for achieving a "fair, transparent, efficient and effective"

public procurement regime. The current Parties to the plurilateral GPA are: Armenia, Canada,

the European Union (with its 28 member states), Hong Kong China, Iceland, Israel, Japan,

Korea, Liechtenstein, Kingdom of the Netherlands with respect to Aruba, Norway, Singapore,

Switzerland, Chinese Taipei and the United States. Japan, the EU, the US, Canada, Norway,

Hong Kong-China, Chinese Taipei and Switzerland welcomed Pakistan's decision. Members of

GPA hoped to soon receive Pakistan's application for its accession to the GPA.

11. PPRA DEVELOPED STANDARD FORMATS OF ADVERTISEMENTS FOR PROCUREMENT OF GOODS, WORKS AND NON-CONSULTING SERVICES, EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI) AND PROPOSALS FOR PREQUALIFICATION

PPRA has developed standard formats of advertisements for invitations to bid

(for goods, works and non-consulting services), Expression of Interest (for consulting services)

and proposals for Prequalification. These stranded formats have been uploaded on PPRA

website www.ppra.org.pk for the convenience of procuring agencies. Since the same have been

circulated to all the procuring agencies therefore, they are now required to adhere the standard

formats. These standard formats shall bring more efficiency as the chances of committing

violations in advertisements would be eliminated.

12. FINALIZATION OF MONITORING & EVALUATION (M&E) FRAMEWORK OF PPRA

M&E Framework of PPRA has been developed for monitoring and

implementation of Public Procurement Legal Framework in effective manner and take rational

decisions based on evidence. M&E system will strengthen the institutional accountability and

promote organizational learning. The M&E framework enables performance measurement at

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three levels i.e. Impact, outcome and output. M&E Framework thus gives a holistic view of the

procurement management system.

13. AWARENESS SEMINAR ON USE OF PROCUREMENT AGENTS HELD IN ISLAMABAD

PPRA organized a national awareness seminar on “Use of Procurement Agents”

in collaboration with Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 24th November, 2014 at Islamabad.

The purpose of the seminar was to create awareness on use of procurement agents, allow the

participants to further deliberate on the topic and learn from experience of experts about the

latest trends on use of procurement agents in other countries. Around 60 senior officials from

PPRAs, selected Ministries /Divisions / Departments, Contractors Association of Pakistan

(CAP), and international stakeholders like World Bank (WB) and Asian Development Bank

(ADB) participated in the seminar.

Ms. Nazrat Bashir, MD PPRA, in her welcome speech, highlighted that the

concept of procurement agents is relatively new in Pakistan. Though the current legal framework

of Pakistan does not specifically mention the term procurement agent but it allows hiring of

consultants for different stages of the procurement cycle specially preparation of bidding

documents or evaluation of the bids. Mr. Werner Liepach, Country Director, ADB Resident

Mission, Pakistan and Mr. Rustam Abdukyumov, Procurement Specialist, ADB, in their

addresses deliberated that the seminar will provide participants a forum for sharing their

experiences and approaches on the use of procurement agents, and discuss related issues, such as

governance, integrity and capacity development. Mr. Werner Liepech and Mr. Rustam

Abdukyumov re-affirmed ADB’s continued support on the priority areas highlighted in the

Regional Technical Assistance (RETA). Ms. Fan Minhong, ADB Resident Mission, China

during her presentation on “Use of Procurement Agents in People’s Republic of China (PRC)”,

gave an overview of the procurement agents in PRC, discussed roles and responsibilities of the

procurement agents, the recruitment of procurement agent, strengths and weaknesses of using

procurement agents and lessons learned from PRC’s practice. Mr. Qamar Sarwar Abbasi, Joint

Secretary also represented EAD in the seminar. Strategy on use of Procurement Agents will be

developed with the assistance of ADB.

14. E-PROCUREMENT STRATEGY

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The traditional paper-based procurement processes have inherent problems like

incomplete management information, inefficient procedures, high compliance costs for suppliers

& departments, inferior procurement methodologies and a profound lack of transparency. Paper-

based procurement also results in uncoordinated buying across government with different

departments having different contracts and different prices for the same goods.

2. Global trend for procurement effectiveness is about adoption of e-procurement

system which is being rolled out and adopted quickly. With the assistance of World Bank an e-

Procurement Strategy has been developed. The private sector, having reasonable competence

with e-commerce, is also enthusiastic and receptive to introduction of e-Procurement.

Unitary e-Procurement Infrastructure, recommended in the study, will serve as single set of

Primary Data Centre and Disaster Recovery Centre. An e-Procurement Software Solution would

be procured with licensing arrangement in such a way that the e-Procurement System database

could be separately clustered for individual provinces with options of interoperability and

information exchange across the provincial and federal portals.

3. There will be no need for special legislation because the existing legal framework

in Pakistan is adequate and supportive of e-procurement. Government of Pakistan adopted its IT

Policy in the year 2000 after studying UNCITRAL model laws and reviewing different

implementation schemes of electronic authentication, regulatory models and best practices.

4. To avoid the risk of incompatibility with user requirements and capacities, the

study recommends that e-Procurement services and functions be introduced initially in some

designated organizations and in a phased manner. The strategy would take three years for

implementation of the e-procurement regime, including all the phases, viz., institutional

structure, publication of guidelines, publication of e-signature / e-documents rules, e-

procurement in pilot agencies, hardware infrastructure, change management/capacity building

and final roll-out etc.The Strategy having been approved by PPRA Board has been endorsed by

the Government. As soon as funds are arranged, implementation of the Strategy will be initiated.

15. TRAINING STRATEGY

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In order to strengthen and professionalize the procurement cadre in public sector

organizations, after a detailed Training Needs Assessment (TNA), a Training Strategy has been

developed with the assistance of World Bank, in consultation with provincial / regional PPRAs

and various Government Departments. Purpose of the study was to carry out a detailed

assessment of training needs and develop a comprehensive training strategy to professionalize

the procurement function in Pakistan.

2. After a detailed assessment of training needs in the sector of public procurement,

the Training Strategy has been devised which recommends training of existing government

officials engaged in procurement process, training of newly recruited government officials and

inclusion of procurement modules in academic institutions.

Training of existing government officials engaged in procurement will be performed by using

different methods of training like e-learning and class room training. E-learning can facilitate the

refresher trainings and training of government officials at remote locations. The strategy further

suggests Half Day training courses for senior management (higher approving authorities)

whereas separate Three Day training programmes for mid- level management (procurement

planning &execution officers) and lower management (execution & support officers).

Accordingly PPRA shall develop standardized training modules for e-learning, half day courses

and three days programs.

3. The Strategy having been approved by PPRA Board has also been endorsed by

the Government. As soon as funds are arranged, implementation of the Training Strategy will be

initiated.

16. CAPACITY BUILDING

PPRA training activities were formalized through the establishment of National

Institute of Procurement. Regular two-days interactive training programs on ‘Public

Procurement Rules and Procedures’ are organized on fortnightly basis for the officers of

government as well as private sector. During the period from 01.07.2015 to 30.11.2015, PPRA

trained 99 participants through 07 training programs for the capacity building of officials of the

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Public Sector as well as Private Sector. During the FY 2014-15, PPRA trained 429 participants

through 22 training programs for the capacity building of officials of the Public Sector as well as

Private Sector. Similarly, during FY 2013-14, 13 trainings were conducted in which 231

participants from Govt. sector were trained.

2. NIP, within its legal framework in the form of PPRA Ordinance 2002, Public

Procurement Rules 2004 and the PPRA Regulations, plays a pivotal role in the achievement of

excellence in governmental and institutional procurement through education, certification and

professional development of procurement professionals.

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Participants interacting with each other during the practical exercises / case study based on the legal framework of PPRA

MD PPRA awarding certificate to during training program held on 29-30 Sept 2014, 2014

17. PPRA NEWS LETTER

The quarterly newsletter of PPRA serves the purpose of creating awareness

amongst the stakeholders involved in procurement process and provides information about latest

activities of the Authority. The first edition was issued in July, 2009 having a title of PPRA

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gazette. The gazette was published on monthly basis till December, 2011. Later on it was

decided to publish the gazette on quarterly basis to cover the latest activities of PPRA in a

comprehensive manner thus the gazette was consequently re-named as PPRA Newsletter. The

Newsletter contains information about latest activities, performance in respect of monitoring,

tender advertisement on website, capacity building programmes and grievance redressal etc.

This Newsletter is shared with more than 250 public sector procuring agencies. During FY 2013-

14 & 2014-15 four (04) editions of PPRA gazette have been published on quarterly basis. The

newsletter has a positive impact on the performance of the Authority as well as on the

stakeholders.

18. Suppliers Registration

PPRA launched Suppliers Registration System, which is the part of PPRA e-

procurement system. A link is available for the suppliers at PPRA website home page where

suppliers can be registered after filling the online registration form. A unique number is assigned

to a newly registered supplier upon request. Business details are also available for the general

public in registered supplier’s link. PPRA also introduced supplier login portal where a supplier

can update / modify his business details after logging in to a secure system. The same will be

saved upon request and readily made available on the registered supplier’s section. PPRA also

aims at providing online bidding facility to the registered suppliers. The response from suppliers

is astounding, which goes to show that private sector is inching to go electronic.

19 Court Cases Relating to Public Procurement

Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) was established under PPRA

Ordinance, 2002 promulgated on 15th May, 2002. Section 23 of PPRA Ordinance, 2002 provides

“Indemnity” that “no suit, prosecution, or other legal proceedings shall lie against the Authority,

the Board, the Chairperson or any member, officer, servants, advisers or consultants of the

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Authority in respect of anything in good faith done or intended to be done under this ordinance

or the rules and regulations made thereunder.”

In the light of above legal provision, PPRA was not preparing para-wise

comments on the Writ petition filed in the court of Law nor attending hearing of the cases.

However after May, 2012 PPRA started submitting para-wise comments and report on all the

writ petitions where PPRA was made respondent. Simultaneously, it is also ensured that

hearings of all courts of law are attended. All above legal affairs handling was started when there

was acute shortage of officers and the Authority was functioning at its lowest ebb with just, one

Deputy Director and three (03) Assistant Directors.

A complete list of cases pertaining to court matters has been compiled. A list of

cases filed and heard in different courts of law pertaining to “Public Procurement” during the

year 2014–15 are summarized below: -

Sr. Name of Court No. of Cases Pending 1. Supreme Court of Pakistan 02 2. Islamabad High Court, Islamabad 10 3. Lahore High Court, Lahore 15 4. Sindh High Court, Karachi 05

Total 32

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Acronyms Used in the Text

ADB Asian Development Bank

AGPP Advisory Group on Public Procurement

ASP Assessment and Strengthening Programme

CCI Council of Common Interest

FMS Financial Management System

GDLN Global Development Learning Network

LMS Learning Management System

MOOC Massive Open Online Course

NAB National Accountability Bureau

NEPRA National Electric Power Regulatory Authority

NHA National Highway Authority

NIP National Institute of Procurement

PIA Pakistan International Airlines

PPP Public Private Partnership

PPR Public Procurement Rules

PPRA Public Procurement Regulatory Authority

PSAs Public Sector Agencies

PA Procuring Agencies

PEMRA Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority

SAPPN South Asian Public Procurement Network

TNA Training Need Assessment

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