ISLAMABAD: The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) has approved amendments to Rule 21(A) of Public Procurement Rules 2004 for import of commodities, well-informed sources told Business Recorder.
At a recent meeting of PPRA, MD (PPRA) presented the agenda item and informed the Board that draft rule 21(A) of Public Procurement Rules, 2004 containing “mechanism for import of commodities to meet the demand-supply gap of state reserves” was presented before PPRA Board in its 59th meeting held on January 24, 2022, wherein the Board decided to approve the final version of Rule 21(A) of Public Procurement Rules, 2004 containing proposed amendments and insertion of sub-bituminous coal under schedule-1.
MD (PPRA) highlighted that in the light of decision, the views/comments of the stakeholders were sought vide letter dated February 08, 2022 for further improvement of the proposed rule.
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After receiving of the views/comments of the stakeholders it was presented before PPRA Board in its 68th meeting held on February 20, 2023, and the Board decided that the proposed “mechanism for import of commodities to meet the demand-supply gap of state reserves” shall be shared with the stakeholders including Petroleum Division, Ministry of Food Security & Research and Ministry of Industries & Production to make it broader for applicability in different sectors for procurement of these goods and commodities through international tendering.
MD (PPRA) further explained that in view of the above, draft summary along with Notification was forwarded to Cabinet Division vide letter on February 08, 2023 for placing it before Federal Cabinet for its approval.
In response Cabinet Division vide letter dated May 08, 2023 forwarded the proposed amendments received from Ministry of Law & Justice and requested PPRA to incorporate it in the draft notification of the subject rule and furnish a certificate for the said amendments.
MD PPRA opined that in response PPRA of letter of August 17, 2023 conveyed to Cabinet Division that the amendments made by Ministry of Law and Justice in the sub-rule (8) of proposed rule 21 (A) by deleting “(s)” in the word “bidder(s)” restrict the award of the remaining quantity of the commodity to the next most advantageous bidder rather to the next most advantageous bidder and so on until the desired quantities advertised by the procuring agency are met.
Moreover, in a letter of September 14, 2023, it was conveyed to the Cabinet Division that except sub-rule (8), the remaining changes made by the Ministry of Law and Justice are incorporated in the proposed Rule 21 (A).
Further, a minor amendment comprising insertion of a word “quantitates” was also proposed in sub-rule (5) to further clarify the subject rule.
MD (PPRA) argued that in pursuance of the letter received from Cabinet Division on September 20, 2023, minor changes were made in the proposed Rule.
After brief deliberations, the Board decided to approve the final version of Rule 21(A) of Public Procurement Rules, 2004 containing proposed amendments and also approved the notification of the proposed rule after incorporating the cleared amendments.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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