Inclusion of govt procuring agencies in e-GP mandatory

The conduct of tendering through the electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) system is mandatory for all government procuring agencies.

Referring to some government decisions in this regard, Mohammed Shoheler Rahman Chowdhury, Chief Executive Officer of Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority (BPPA), said this at a meeting on the review of communication programs and plans of BPPA, under the Digitizing Implementation Monitoring and Public Procurement Project (DIMAPPP), at BPPA conference room in Dhaka held yesterday.

He said the number of procuring agencies in the country is about 1600. Up to 4 March, the number of procurement agencies registered with the e-GP system is 1456, said a press release today.

From 2012 up to 4 March, the total number of tenders invited through e-GP is 7,85,997 and their total estimated cost is Tk822,598 crore. Over 1 lakh tenderers have so far registered with the e-GP system.

Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority (BPPA), previously the Central Procurement Technical Unit (CPTU), has taken steps to expedite the inclusion of the agencies which have not yet registered with e-GP for tendering.

The CPTU was transformed into BPPA under the Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority (BPPA) Act 2023 on 18 September 2023.

Mohammed Shoheler Rahman Chowdhury, Chief Executive officer of BPPA, said tendering through e-GP is mandatory for all procuring agencies under the decisions of the government.

Calling upon the agencies which are yet to register with e-GP, he said all concerned, including procuring entities and tenderers are enjoying benefits of e-GP implementation in public procurement.

The e-GP system has removed all hassles in processing of tenders. The system is now fully grown with additions of new features to e-GP. These are electronic contract management system (e-CMS), e-Audit, international competitive tendering (ICT) modules, direct procurement method (DPM), tenderers' database, and intellectual and professional services.

It is also integrated with the electronic Project Management Information System (e-PMIS) of IMED, the iBASS++for payments and the National ID.

The implementation of online procurement has increased competition, efficiency and transparency in public procurement. It is mentionable that the World Bank has extended support to BPPA in implementing various reforms in public procurement in Bangladesh.

BPPA has kept on writing to those agencies which are yet to be registered with e-GP for registration. Recently, it has also published a notification on its website, which reads –

1.    Full implementation of e-GP is a must to establish 'Smart Bangladesh' and to ensure transparency and accountability in public procurement.

2.    Following e-tendering in public procurement in all ministries/divisions and subordinate offices is a must according to the Decision No.124 of the Cabinet taken on 16 February 2015.

3.    The Digital Bangladesh Taskforce at its meeting on 6 August 2015 resolved that e-tendering in public procurement in all ministries/divisions and subordinate offices is a must.

4.    According to the Decision No 4.4, taken at a meeting headed by the PMO on 17 November 2016, inclusion of all government procuring agencies in e-GP is mandatory.

Hence, all procuring agencies are requested to use e-GP in their tendering process and call 24/7 e-GP Help Desk at 16575 for any assistance.

Since the inauguration of the e-GP portal on June 2, 2011 by the Honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the system has witnessed a robust growth with its users increasing every day.