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Transparency, accountability guidelines in Govt. procurements to be gazetted this year
The procurement guidelines compiled by the National Procurement Commission (NPC) to ensure transparency and accountability in the procurement process of Govt institutions, will be gazetted before year end, said NPC Chairman Nihal Wickramasuriya.
“The final version of the guidelines were prepared following consultations with all stakeholders and includes input from them as well,” he said.
“It will be sent to the Legal Draftsman’s’ Dept shortly, after which it will be published in the gazette. Then it is up to Parliament to approve it,” he said.
The NPC Chairman said these guidelines will replace the 2006 guidelines dealing with procurement in State institutions, and have been prepared in keeping with international best practices. Incorporated into the guidelines is the use of electronic technology to attract more bidders, as well as evaluate bids so that, much of the irregularities that take place within the current procurement system is eliminated.
There are also new guidelines applicable to all selections/employment of Consultancy Services conducted by the Procuring Entities (PE) in Sri Lanka.
The NPC guidelines require that consultants provide professional, objective, and impartial advice and, at all times, hold the PE’s interests paramount, without any consideration for future work, and that, in providing advice, they avoid conflicts with other assignments and their own corporate interests.
The guidelines also forbid the hiring of consultants for any assignment that would be in conflict with their prior or current obligations to other clients or, that may place them in a position of being unable to carry out the assignment in the best interests of the PE.
The NPC was set up under the 19th Amendment to the Constitution and for the purpose of formulating fair, equitable, transparent, competitive and cost effective procedures and guidelines for the procurement of goods and services, works, consultancy services and information services by Govt institutions.