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04-02-2016
Members of the Public-Private Stakeholders’ Committee (PPSC) in its ninth meeting on February 4, 2016 observed that third –party monitoring (TPM) of public procurement is important and it is a need of the time.
The Minister for Planning, A H M Mustafa Kamal, FCA, and chairperson of 43-member PPSC presided over the meeting at the NEC Conference Room, Planning Commission campus, in the capital city.
Representatives of the public and private sectors including secretaries of various ministries/divisions, tenderers, business persons, academics, civil society and media participated in the PPSC meeting facilitated by the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development as the Social Accountability consultant under the PPRP-II.
Lead Procurement Specialist of the World Bank in the PPSC Dr Zafrul Islam was also present as observer in the meeting. The Director General of CPTU and Member-Secretary of the PPSC, Md Faruque Hossain, moderated the meeting. He made the welcome speech and presented an overview of the previous PPSC meetings and decisions. He informed the meeting that BIGD would organize a total of six PPSC meetings. Secretary of the Planning Division Tariq Ul Islam and Secretary of the IMED Md Shahidullah Khandaker also spoke on the occasion.
Team Leader of the Social Accountability Dr Mirza Hassan made a presentation on a draft strategy it prepared for the piloting of citizen engagement in public procurement. The PPSC members discussed about the strategy and laid emphasis on finding a constructive way to engage the citizen groups in the monitoring of public procurement. They said that the subject needs to be discussed further.
The Minister said, “The government believes in the openness and transparency in the process of public procurement. The idea of engaging citizens as a third party as the watchdog is time-befitting and we are willing to do it. But we need to examine the pros and cons of it. The citizen groups also need to be made aware of the process of public procurement. We also need to develop their capacity.”
The BIGD is going to pilot TPM on a sample basis in four Upazillas of Rangpur and Sirajganj districts. They have provided training to the partner NGOs and citizen committees for monitoring of some specific projects in Rangpur and Sirajganj districts.
The PPSC has been formed with representatives from business community, think-tanks, and civil society organizations along with government officials, to institutionalize external monitoring and citizen engagement in different stages of public procurement. |
