TI asks PM to give students tablets instead of laptops

ISLAMABAD: The consultant of Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission and advisor Transparency International (TI) has requested the prime minister to review government’s policy of award of Rs20 billion (Phase-II) PM’s Laptops Scheme and has proposed distribution of up-model tablets instead of laptops among brilliant students.
In a letter written to the PM, Consultant of PM’s Inspection Commission Adil Gilani has mentioned that the Transparency International Pakistan has serious reservations on the implementation of Rs20 billion Phase–II of the Prime Minister’s Laptops Scheme, whose tenders have been invited, and will be opened on 12 May 2015.
Gilani has written that the cost of Tender Documents Rs20,000 is very high, which shall only be printing cost i.e. Rs5,000 which was charged from venders by HEC in 2014. “This is a four-year supply contract for 100,000 laptops each year. The contract shall be for 1 year only. The configuration as well as model of computers change radically every year and redundant models shall not be purchased in advance. Why make the procurement costlier by asking performance bank security of about Rs20 billion, stuck up for 5 years, and the financial cost will be added in the laptop cost by venders. Ensure that previous vendor is not given any advantage in terms of RFP. Ensure that previous vendor has fulfilled all commitments made at the time of Contract Award on 5 May 2014, and has complied 100% with all terms of the Contract, including establishment of Local Assembly Plant. If the vendor has failed to fulfill this commitment, it may not be allowed to participate in Phase-II,“ the letter says.
Following are the recommendations of Transparency International Pakistan: ‘The IT Technology has progressed very fast in last decade. PCs of 1990s have been replaced by laptop, and now tablet is performing most of the activities of PCs and laptops.
1. For students in schools and colleges, tablets can be easy to handle, compact, and more as useful as compared to laptops.
2. The estimated cost of a laptop in bulk supply is around Rs50,000, whereas the estimated cost of tablet is less than Rs 10,000.
3. Against 100,000 students who will benefit annually from the PM Laptop Scheme, within the same budget of Rs5 Billion, 500,000 students will be benefit annually in PM’s Tablet Scheme.”