Lahore: The Punjab government has announced the introduction of an e-procurement system for three departments as a pilot project in an attempt to curb corruption, a news source reported. The idea of replacing the old system which leads to corruption at various stages, was announced at a meeting of the Punjab Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) on Wednesday.
Under the new online system, the entire process of placing orders, quoting rates, filing and winning tenders, submitting bills, and refunding bills would become transparent. Departments would be able to bypass the bureaucratic and legal formalities which would also make the process quicker and more efficient.
If the project proves successful during the pilot, it will soon be introduced to all government departments in Punjab. The PC-1 of the initiative has been submitted for approval to the Planning and Development Board.
Chief Secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokhar emphasised that the PPRA make use of Information Technology (IT) to maintain transparency through the procurement process. Financial autonomy for the PPRA was approved during the meeting, allowing the authority to charge a fee for the service.
