Guidelines issued to improve public procurement and project management
Recently, guidelines were issued to improve public procurement and project management.
These guidelines try to incorporate new rules for speedy, efficient and transparent implementation of projects. At the same time, we also strive to empower the implementing agencies to take quicker and more efficient decisions in the public interest.
- These guidelines have been prepared under the aegis of Central Vigilance Commission (CVC).
- Public procurement allows governments and state-owned enterprises to purchase goods and services from the private sector.
- CVC analysis has found examples of wrong tendering in public procurement, business tie-ups, fraudulent bidding, bureaucratic problems, dominance of firms through extremely cheap prices, etc.
- It is necessary to counteract the tendency of mismanagement, as the share of public procurement is estimated to be between 20% and 30% of gross domestic product (GDP).
Facts about the guidelines:
- Alternative methods have been allowed for the selection of contractors, with the help of which it is possible to improve the speed and efficiency of execution of projects.
- Timely release of ad-hoc payments (70 per cent or more of billed bills) to improve the availability of cash for contractors, especially Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
- Electronic measurement books have been proposed to record the progress of works.
- In addition, model tender documents will be issued to rationalize and simplify the structure of tender documents for procurement of goods and non-consultancy services.
Source – The Hindu
