The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) have enhanced their partnership to promote transparency and fairness in public procurements through an addendum to their existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Signed on January 1, the agreement focuses on leveraging the E-Pak Acquisition & Disposal System (e-PADS) to detect and prevent collusive practices and bid rigging. e-PADS, Pakistan’s federal e-procurement platform, is administered by PPRA to streamline procurement processes across federal government departments.
The MoU was formalised by CCP Chairman Dr. Kabir Ahmed Sidhu and PPRA Managing Director Mr. Hasnat Ahmed Qureshi during a ceremony at CCP’s Head Office. The event was attended by senior officials, including CCP Member Mr. Salman Amin and PPRA Project Director (e-PADS) Mr. Sheikh Afzaal Raza.
Under the collaboration, PPRA will share e-PADS data with CCP to enable real-time monitoring of suspicious procurement activities. This initiative aligns with CCP’s mandate under Section 4(e) of the Competition Act, 2010, to combat collusive tendering and anti-competitive practices in public procurement.
Dr. Sidhu hailed the partnership as a pivotal step in ensuring the efficient use of public resources, emphasising that data-sharing will bolster efforts to safeguard fairness in procurement processes.
PPRA Managing Director Mr. Qureshi highlighted e-PADS’ role in enhancing accountability and efficiency, asserting that the system has become integral to promoting transparency in public sector procurement.
The collaboration is expected to strengthen governance in federal procurement, curbing malpractices and reinforcing public trust in the use of national resources.
