MUSHTAQ GHUMMAN

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Cabinet has exempted Export Development Fund (EDF) from Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) 2002 meant to facilitate Better Work Program (BWP), official sources told Business Recorder.

On October 5, 2021, the Cabinet Division stated that the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resources Development (OP&HRD) had requested the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) for grant of exemption from applicability of the public procurement Rules, 2004, in respect of the Export Development Fund (EDF) for the Better Work programme (BWP), under Section 21 of the PPRA Ordinance, 2002.

The PPRA Board, in its 53rd meeting held on August 12, 2021, directed the PPRA management to recommend exemption to the Export Development Fund (EDF) for the Better Work Programme. The PPRA’s Board decided to recommend exemption from the applicability of PPRA Rules to Export Development Fund for Better Work Programme under section 21 of the PPRA Ordinance, 2002, in the national interest, subject to the condition that procurement for the project shall be undertaken by the ILO in accordance with its rules, regulations, directives and procedures.

The Prime Minister, in his capacity as Minister in Charge of the Cabinet Division, while approving the summary for the Federal Cabinet directed that the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resources Development should incorporate as to what would be procured and its expected cost.

The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resources Development stated that the expected cost of the project was US Dollar $ 251,564. The International Labour Organization was flexible in charging the “procurement budget” to the other donors (EU and Australia) and should keep it low from the funds to be provided by the Government of Pakistan through Export Development Fund (EDF). Major costs of the three-year pilot BWP would be incurred on staff; i.e., $ 2,986,288.

Section 21 of the PPRA Ordinance,2002 stipulates that: “The Authority may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, recommend to the Federal Government that the procurement of an a class of objects in the national interest be exempted from the operation of this Ordinance or any rule or regulation made there under or any other law regulating public procurement and the Federal Government on such recommendations shall exempt the aforesaid objects or class of objects from the operation of the laws and rules and regulations made there under.”

In view of the foregoing, the Federal Government was requested to grant exemption to the EDF for the Better Work Programme from the applicability of the PPRA Rules under section 21 of the PPRA Ordinance,2002, in the national interest, subject to the condition that the project cost of $ 251,564 was not exceeded and that the procurement for the project should be undertaken by the ILO in accordance with its rules, regulations, directives and procedures.

After brief discussion, the Cabinet accorded approval of the proposal as Prime Minister had already given his nod as Minister Incharge of Ministry Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resources Development.