Islamabad: The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) have signed an addendum to their existing Memorandum of Understanding to boost cooperation in sharing and exchanging information, specifically regarding the E-Pak Acquisition & Disposal System (e-PADS). This collaboration aims to monitor and prevent collusive practices and rigging in public procurements through the e-PADS platform.

According to Competition Commission of Pakistan, the agreement was formalized by Dr. Kabir Ahmed Sidhu, Chairman of CCP, and Mr. Hasnat Ahmed Qureshi, Managing Director of PPRA, during a ceremony at the CCP Head Office. The event was attended by officials including Mr. Salman Amin, Member of CCP, and Mr. Shahzad Hussain, DG (Advocacy)/Registrar of CCP, among others.

PPRA introduced the e-PADS system to tackle inefficiencies and promote transparency in public procurements. It is now mandatory for all federal public sector organizations to process their procurements through this system. Under Section 4(e) of the Competition Act, 2010, the CCP is tasked with taking action against collusive tendering or bidding in procurement processes.

This collaboration will see PPRA sharing e-PADS data with CCP, aiding in the detection and prevention of anti-competitive practices, thus ensuring fairness in public procurement. Dr. Kabir Ahmed Sidhu noted that the data-sharing initiative is a significant step towards transparency and fairness in public procurements. Mr. Hasnat Ahmed Qureshi highlighted that the successful implementation of e-PADS is enhancing efficiency and accountability in the procurement process.