Business
Govt moves to amend Public Procurement Regulatory Authority law to improve transparency
• Cabinet panel clears PPRA Ordinance changes
• New rules to feature independent grievance redressal mechanism, gallop tendering
• EPADS e-procurement rolled out to over 9,300 agencies
ISLAMABAD: Amid persistent complaints about federal and provincial procurements, the government is set to amend the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) Ordinance and its subordinate rules to mandate continuous third-party monitoring of tenders and establish an independent grievance redressal system, aiming to improve transparency and public trust.
PPRA Managing Director Hasnat Ahmed Qureshi told a news briefing that the amendments — framed “in line with the prime minister’s vision for transparency, efficiency and good governance” — had been finalised and cleared by the Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases (CCLC) for formal cabinet approval.
He said the amendments pertained to a couple of definitional matters and four or five systematic improvements. He added that the revised PPRA Rules 2025 were in the final stage of approval. “The new rules will feature an independent grievance redressal mechanism, gallop tendering, reduced response times, expert accreditation, third-party evaluation and clearly defined roles for procuring agencies,” Mr Qureshi said.
He said procurement cells staffed with trained professionals were also being established in federal government procuring agencies to oversee planning, market analysis, bid preparation and contract management.
The PPRA chief said the legal changes through the ordinance and rules would entail improved accountability to minimise pilferage and leakages in public monies, as transparency was one of the key challenges, and beneficiaries of the weak systems would not like to close these loopholes.
He dispelled a common excuse by procurement agencies about their autonomy and donor funding to avoid PPRA rules, stressing that there was no such exemption even in organisations that involved a single rupee at the time of their creation, while the public had to pay for foreign loans and assistance. In unusual circumstances, such exemptions have to be provided by the government under well-defined parameters.
Mr Qureshi said the country’s public procurement landscape was already transforming with the introduction of an e-procurement system, ongoing regulatory reforms, and the launch of a robust capacity-building programme for procurement professionals, under which PPRA provided training to procurement agencies.
He highlighted the global significance of procurement reform, noting that public procurement accounted for 15-20 per cent of GDP in developing countries, with global procurement valued at around $13 trillion.
“Manual procurement systems are prone to inefficiencies and leakages, whereas e-procurement offers savings of up to 25pc, as reported by the Asian Development Bank and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development,” he added.
At the heart of PPRA’s digital transformation was the implementation of e-Pakistan Acquisition and Disposal System (EPADS), a fully digitised platform that offers free supplier registration, real-time alerts, customised bidding documents, dynamic bid evaluation, and end-to-end digitisation of procurement processes.
“Since its launch in March 2023, EPADS has been rolled out across 9,314 federal and provincial procuring agencies, including key ministries and departments,” Mr Qureshi said.
He said the PPRA had signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and federal entities, including Nadra, FBR and SECP, to facilitate real-time data integration and regulatory compliance.
“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,” he said.
Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2025
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Sunday the reopening of new gas connections after a ban of nearly four years, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
His announcement comes less than two months after the federal cabinet decided in September to lift the ban on domestic gas connections and supply regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG).
Speaking about the cabinet’s decision in a post-meeting press conference, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, flanked by Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, had said PM Shehbaz decided to lift the ban on new gas connections imposed in 2021, addressing a longstanding public demand.
Addressing a ceremony related to the resumption of RLNG connections in Islamabad today, the premier reiterated that the government’s decision was in response to the “long-standing public demand”.
“In 2022, there was immense public pressure for [new] gas connections but the government was facing challenges,” Radio Pakistan quoted him as saying.
But, “with this landmark decision, the public will now be able to access affordable and quality fuel,” he added.
“Now, RLNG will be supplied throughout the country to a large number of applicants,” a report by state-run APP quoted him as saying.
According to the reports, a video message by Malik was also played during today’s ceremony, in which the petroleum minister said the government was committed to providing maximum facilities to the public.
He added that the Sui Northern Gas Company had brought down its line losses to 4.93 per cent while earning a profit of Rs29 billion in the previous fiscal year.
ISLAMABAD: After a gap of nine months, the government has appointed Hamad Ali Mansoor as the new chief executive officer (CEO) of the Engineering Development Board (EDB).
Mr Mansoor’s appointment, in the MP-I scale, is for a three-year term. The position had been vacant since January, and the recruitment process was initiated through an advertisement issued on Nov 17, 2024.
According to the Ministry of Industries and Production, a total of 248 applications were received. Thirty-three eligible candidates were shortlisted and interviewed by the selection committee in February. The committee recommended a panel of three candidates in order of merit: Hamad Ali Mansoor, Akhtar Ahmad Bughio and Shakeel Zahid.
Established in 1995, the EDB functions under the Ministry of Industries and Production to promote, facilitate and regulate the engineering sector in Pakistan.
Mr Mansoor holds an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA from the Schulich School of Business, York University, Toronto. He has over three decades of experience in industrial policy, manufacturing and infrastructure development, with a focus on renewable energy and sustainable growth.
Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2025
ISLAMABAD: The PPP has reiterated its commitment to supporting the farming community and vowed to continue its struggle to end all injustices faced by the farmers.
“PPP remains committed to respecting, empowering, and reviving the agricultural sector for a prosperous Pakistan,” said the party’s Central Information Secretary Shazia Marri. She quoted PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari as saying that no economy can be strong if its farmers are weak.
“Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari believes that strengthening the farmer means strengthening Pakistan itself,” Ms Marri said in a statement issued on Saturday.
Ms Marri said that Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s vision was clear — the true measure of progress lies in the prosperity of farmers. She recalled that during the PPP government, Pakistan had moved from wheat shortage to becoming a wheat-exporting country, owing to farmer-friendly policies.
She said that the PPP chairman had always stood by the farmers, advocating for timely procurement and fair prices.
Highlighting the impact of climate change, the PPP leader said that it posed a serious threat to every Pakistani farmer. She added that Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari emphasised the need for investment in sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture, envisioning a modern agricultural economy where small farmers could progress through technology and access to fair markets.
She said the PPP believed that insurance, credit access, and transparent governance were essential to protect farmers from the adverse effects of climate change.
Ms Marri appreciated the government’s decision to allow wheat procurement, terming it a longstanding demand of the PPP. She added that approving the support price for wheat was also a PPP demand; however, she noted that fixing the price at Rs4,000 instead of Rs3,500 per 40kg would have been more beneficial for farmers. She further said that reducing the income tax from 45 per cent to 15pc was an important relief measure for the farming community.
Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2025
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