The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) has approved the recruitment of 26 specialists and experts on a contract basis for a period of two years, though it has shown hesitance in implementing the prime minister’s directive to remove incompetent officials and non-performers from its ranks.
According to a news report, a total of 26 positions, including 21 officers and five staff members, have been advertised. The decision was made during a recent PPRA Board meeting chaired by the finance secretary.
The recruitment is part of an organizational restructuring plan approved in principle during the 84th board meeting.
The PPRA Managing Director (MD) said that compliance with the prime minister’s directives issued on November 27, 2024, has begun with advertisements for specialist positions published on November 25 on the PPRA website and on November 27 in print media.
Additionally, the board approved the hiring of 13 IT experts for the Project Management Unit (PMU) under the EPADS initiative, with advertisements issued on November 20, 2024, and a closing date of December 8, 2024.
A board member raised concerns that the prime minister’s directive had created the impression that existing PPRA employees would be placed in a surplus pool.
The MD clarified that the directive was to remove non-performing and incompetent staff and place them in the surplus pool but noted legal issues in implementing this through the Establishment Division. Legal advice from the Ministry of Law is being sought on the matter.
The board also emphasized that the newly hired specialists and experts should not be seen as replacements for regular vacant positions and suggested that regular positions be advertised separately. It was proposed that amendments to service regulations be made to distinguish these roles from regular positions.
The MD also briefed the board on the establishment of procurement units or cells in all ministries and organizations as per the prime minister’s directive.
The board recommended forwarding guidelines for these units to the Cabinet Division to facilitate implementation.
After detailed deliberations, the PPRA Board unanimously approved the recruitment of 26 specialists and directed the management to ensure compliance with the prime minister’s directives while maintaining transparency in the process.
