PPRA adopting e-government procurement

ISLAMABAD: The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) oversees annual procurement worth trillions of rupees, equivalent to 15-20pc of Pakistan’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Estimates suggest that e-procurement could yield savings of 10-25pc.

On October 15, the government proposed approximately 10 amendments to the PPRA Ordinance, pending parliamentary approval, while the Public Procurement Rules 2025 await final federal cabinet assent. These reforms include third-party involvement to enhance transparency in the procurement process. E-government procurement is well-established in the region: Bangladesh adopted it in 2010, India in 2012, Indonesia in 2008, and Sri Lanka in 2019.

PPRA Managing Director Hasnat Ahmed Qureshi briefed journalists on transforming Pakistan’s public procurement through an e-procurement system, regulatory reforms, and a capacity-building programme handling 15–20pc of GDP. “Globally, public procurement accounts for 15–20pc of GDP in developing countries, valued at approximately $13 trillion,” Qureshi noted. “Manual systems are prone to inefficiencies and leakages, but e-procurement can save up to 25pc, according to the Asian Development Bank and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.”

Central to PPRA’s digital transformation is the e-Pakistan Acquisition and Disposal System (EPADS), launched on March 15, 2023. This fully digitised platform offers free supplier registration, real-time alerts, customised bidding documents, dynamic bid evaluation, and end-to-end digitisation. “EPADS has been implemented across 9,314 federal and provincial procuring agencies, including key ministries and departments,” Qureshi said. “To date, 39,553 suppliers, including 527 foreign firms, 1,792 women-led enterprises, and 4,044 small and medium enterprises, have registered on EPADS,” Qureshi stated.