NAB, PPRA forge partnership with MoU signing

February 04, 2025 (MLN): A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) at NAB Headquarters in Islamabad.

The MoU was signed by Izhar Ahmad Awan, Director General of NAB (A&P), and Sheikh Afzaal Raza, Project Director of E-PADS, as per the press release issued today.

The agreement aims to establish a system that fosters mutual cooperation between the two organizations for the exchange of information on e-Procurements (E-PADS), ensuring fairness and transparency in the public procurement process.

The goal is to increase transparency and accountability through joint efforts, creating a system that will act as a deterrent to corrupt and fraudulent practices.

The MoU also seeks to raise awareness among relevant public procurement institutions about procurement laws, regulations, and ethical standards.

Under the MoU, both institutions have agreed to enhance the capacity of their own organizations, as well as other related public procurement institutions.

They will assist in developing guidelines to prevent corruption and fraud, and support the improvement of policies and procurement procedures based on successful experiences from past cases.

Regarding procurement-related complaints, PPRA will forward them to NAB, along with relevant details of tenders and bidders, for appropriate action.

As part of the MoU, NAB officers will receive free training sessions on public procurement from PPRA, while NAB will also offer complimentary training to PPRA officers on preventing corruption in public procurement.

Both institutions will jointly develop guidelines to strengthen legal regulations for bidders and public procurement institutions to prevent corruption.

Reforms will also be promoted to further enhance accountability in the procurement process.

Additionally, both institutions have agreed to collaborate on the establishment of a National Electronic Procurement Database.

The MoU signing ceremony was attended by NAB Chairman Lieutenant General (Retd.) Nazir Ahmad, Deputy Chairman NAB Sohail Nasir, Prosecutor General Accountability Syed Ihtasham Qadir Shah, Managing Director of PPRA Hasanat Ahmad Qureshi, and other officials from both organizations.

To this end, PPRA will develop a centralized database that will include procurement data, tenders, and related bid information.

Earlier, the PPRA team provided a comprehensive briefing on the PPRA system and EPADS.

The Chairman of NAB appreciated the initiative to migrate towards a more automated system and emphasized that the collaboration between NAB and PPRA will significantly enhance transparency and accountability in the public procurement process.

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