Citizens’ participation in government procurement is essential for good governance : IMED Secretary

Dhaka November 18 2021 :

Citizens’ participation in government procurement activities is essential to ensure good governance, said the Secretary of Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division.

“The more citizens participate in government procurement, the more good governance will be ensured,” said Mr. Abu Hena Morshed Zaman, Secretary, Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division, Ministry of Planning.

He said this while addressing a discussion meeting on citizen involvement in government procurement activities in Barishal district through online zoom video conferencing platform at 11 am on Thursday. 

He said, “If the voice of the people is heard in the implementation of any decision, then it will be easier to formulate good governance.” In his speech on the occasion, the issue of giving incentives to the best citizens/ groups also came up.

The speakers said that the strategy to be formulated by the government for the implementation of citizen involvement in government procurement is not the responsibility of any one but of all. In order to ensure the participation of all in the government procurement activities and to bring perfection, a civic monitoring team has been formed in the upazilas with the people around the work site. Their responsibility is to monitor the progress of the work and to report any irregularities to the local government officials in charge. This group is known as the “Citizen Monitoring Group”.

Speakers also said that the Central Procurement Technical Unit (CPTU) of the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division under the Ministry of Planning is working on the involvement of local citizens in the implementation of government procurement in 48 upazilas of the country in phases under the Digitizing Implementation Monitoring and Public Procurement Project (DIMAPPP). Brac institute of Governance and Development, Brac University is CPTU’s consultant for this purpose.

Under the DIMAPPP project, monitoring of implementation of this agreement has been started in a total of 48 upazilas including 16 upazilas in the first year and 32 more upazilas from the second year. BRAC’s Community Empowerment and Legal Protection (SELP) is collaborating with BIGD in this field.

The participants exchanged their experiences at the field level and sought the views of the concerned stakeholders.

CPTU Director Md. Aziz Taher Khan said in his introductory speech, “Although we faced some problems due to Covid-19, we worked virtually. At the same time, measures are being taken digitally so that the people can get all the information.”

Speaking as the special guest, Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate, Barishal, Mr. Jasim Uddin Haider said, “The district administration will do its utmost to implement the instructions given by the government.”

Dr. Mirza Hasan, Senior Research Fellow, BIGD, presented a PowerPoint titled “Citizen Involvement and Workshop Perspectives in Government Procurement Process”.

In his concluding remarks, the Chair of the program, Mr. Md. Shoheler Rahman Chowdhury, Director General of Central Procurement Technical Unit (CPTU) thanked all those who present. He expressed his hope for a more effective approach in the future. He said that many people point out various problems and weaknesses in e-GP and procurement process. He assured that he would take up the matter as much as possible.

Also present on the occasion were CPTU Deputy Director Md. Nasimur Rahman Sharif and Principal Project Management Consultant Mosta Gausul Haque. The event was also attended by representatives of local government procurement agencies, local bidders and GTF representatives, local government representatives, civil society representatives and members of the civil society.

The program was presented by Md. Safiul Alam, Senior Communication Consultant, CPTU.