The
government is all set to launch full-fledged e-Government Procurement (e-GP)
system from mid-April this year, coinciding with the new year of the Nepali
calendar, informed the Public Procurement Monitoring Office (PPMO) Sunday.
"The
making of the software has been completed and the PPMO is now conducting
training for capacity building, installation of necessary hardware and
development of other infrastructure," Ramesh Kumar Sharma, secretary at
the PPMO, said in a function organized to sign Memorandum of Understandings
(MoUs) with the commercial banks in the country.
The
procurement monitoring body is preparing to launch the software for piloting in
the first phase.
"In
the first phase, we will launch it in Department of Roads, Department of
Irrigation, Department of Water Supply and Sewerage and Department of Local
Infrastructure Development and Agriculture Roads (DOLIDAR). The e-GP will be
tested in 50 model projects before launching it in all sectors," informed
Sharma.
In
e-GP, the governments use information technology system in conducting their
procurement relationships with suppliers and contractors for the procurement of
works, goods, consulting services and other services required by the public
sector.
As
the e-GP is considered safe, transparent and competitive service for public
procurement works, stakeholders have long been demanding the electronic system
to end various irregularities, muscle power and misappropriation in government
procurement.
The
PPMO said that it would completely discourage cartel and fixing deals among the
bidders.
Nepal
Rastra Bank Governor Dr. Chiranjivi Nepal said that the tender process in Nepal
was very complex and as the muscle power was exercised by some of the
contractors, both bidders and employees experienced massive pressure during the
procurement process.
"I
believe that with the implementation of e-GP system, the country will witness
the growth in capital expenditure. The complex tender process has hindered the
optimum utilization of development budget," he stated.
Initially
used by Canada in 1991, the e-GP is the application of an efficient high
quality management framework to public sector procurement, facilitated through
online information and processes, read a PPMO document.
In
Nepal, the electronic procurement system was applied in 2007 in the Department
of Roads.
"e-GP
has the potential to strengthen accountability, transparency, efficiency and
effectiveness of this sensitive high value government function," said
Sharma.
The
government has developed a single portal for the public procurement works in
technical assistance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The
project to develop the single portal was completed in four years.
"Public procurement includes 15 to 20 per
cent of the Gross Domestic Product. Therefore, it should be transparent, easy
and safe," said Tika Limbu, portfolio management specialist at the ADB.
The
PPMO Sunday signed MoU with all 29 'A' class commercial banks which would
facilitate the banks to use the full fledged e-GP single portal. The portal has
a separate dashboard for the commercial banks.
The
PPMO has already trained two employees each from all commercial banks on the
use of e-GP portal.
Nepal
Bankers' Association president Upendra Poudyal appreciated the government for
involving the banking sector as the major stakeholders in the public
procurement process.
"The
new system will inspire good bidders and contractors to participate in the
public procurement process," he said.
He
suggested the government to apply all security measures to make the e-GP safe
from the hackers and crackers, and also to establish help desk at the PPMO for
a couple of months to facilitate the stakeholders who might need further
orientation and technical assistance while using the new technology. 
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