Bangladesh’s Finance and Planning Minister, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, has instructed the Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority (BPPA) to further reduce the time required for public procurement, saying quicker purchasing procedures are essential to speed up the delivery of government development projects.
The directive was issued during the fourth meeting of the BPPA’s 10-member Governing Board, held at the authority’s conference room on the Bangladesh Planning Commission campus on Thursday.
The meeting was attended by State Minister for Planning and Senior Vice-Chair of the Governing Board Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki, IMED Secretary and BPPA Vice-Chair Shirajun Noor Chowdhury, along with other members of the board.
Procurement lead time refers to the period between the invitation of tenders and the signing of contracts.
According to the minister, the average procurement period has already fallen from around 100 days to 54 days following the introduction of the electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) system and wider procurement reforms.
While welcoming this progress, he said the process should become even faster to support timely implementation of government-funded projects.
He noted that delays in procurement often slow the completion of development programmes, affecting the government’s broader economic and infrastructure objectives.
A more efficient procurement system, backed by greater competition, transparency and accountability, would help deliver projects more quickly and improve overall development outcomes, he said.
As Chair of the BPPA Governing Board, Amir Khosru also highlighted the importance of raising the quality of public procurement while encouraging stronger competition among participating firms.
He said an effective procurement system would play a key role in ensuring projects are completed on schedule.
The minister added that the Ministry of Planning should strengthen its oversight of development activities and announced that he would work from the ministry’s office at least one day each week to monitor progress more closely.
Earlier in the meeting, BPPA Chief Executive Officer and Member-Secretary S M Moin Uddin Ahmed presented an overview of the authority’s operations. The presentation covered the organisation’s structure, legal responsibilities, progress in expanding the e-GP platform, ongoing modernisation initiatives, current challenges and future priorities.
During the meeting, the minister instructed that the BPPA to accelerate its modernisation programme, ensure wider use of the electronic Government Procurement system and digital signatures across public procurement, and strengthen the verification process for companies taking part in government tenders.
He also called for the appointment of qualified project directors and greater investment in their professional development, saying skilled leadership is essential for delivering public projects efficiently. In addition, he stressed the importance of holding regular Governing Board meetings to improve oversight and ensure timely decisions.
.jpg "PM may reshuffle ministers, appoint advisers: Zahed")
