By Asim Shahzad
LAHORE: Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman announced that the Punjab government is committed to ensuring the implementation of an e-procurement system in government departments under the Public Finance Management Reforms.
The introduction of this system for the online procurement of goods and services will not only save time and resources but also curb potential corruption in the procurement process. Additionally, it will help restore suppliers’ confidence in public institutions and improve service delivery.
The provincial minister expressed these views while chairing the eighth meeting of the Steering Committee on Public Finance Management Reforms at the Finance Department’s committee room. He highlighted that the main objective of launching the e-procurement system is to ensure the efficient utilization of the province’s financial resources. Reforms introduced in the tax and pension systems are also part of this broader initiative.
The minister further stated that all government-level procurement under the e-procurement system will be closely monitored. A dedicated digital monitoring control room will be established for real-time tracking of procurement activities.
During the meeting, the performance of the Punjab Public Finance Management Unit was reviewed. Samia Mukhtar, Head of the Public Finance Management Reforms Unit, provided a comprehensive briefing on the procurement plan for the current fiscal year. The meeting also discussed a five-point agenda, which included the approval of procurements by the Punjab Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA).
The session was attended by the Additional Secretary of Finance, Member Board of Revenue, Director General of Excise and Taxation, Director General of Punjab Information Technology Board, and relevant officials from PPRA, Planning and Development, and the Finance Department.[:]
