Cabinet green-lights amendments to PPRA Ord

The federal cabinet has approved amendments to the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority Ordinance, 2002 to streamline procurements by the government and its attached organisations and departments.

The Cabinet Division informed participants in a recent meeting that, in pursuance of the prime minister’s directives, an international consultant had been hired by the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) to review the complete legal framework, including the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority Ordinance, 2002.

The recommendations of the international consultant were discussed in the 874th meeting of the PPRA board held on January 16, 2025, where the board unanimously approved the proposed amendments to the PPRA Ordinance, 2002.

The Cabinet Division said that, on the request of the PPRA, it forwarded draft amendments to the Law and Justice Division, which examined the proposed changes in rules.

The final version of the draft bill for amendments to the PPRA Ordinance was submitted to the prime minister on April 17, 2025. Upon consideration, the PM gave directives that improvements and modifications be made part of the final draft, which would be shared with the Cabinet Committee for the Disposal of Legislative Cases.

It was proposed that in Rule/Section 5(2)(b), the word “integrity” be deleted and in Rule/Section 5(2)(d), the word “professionalisation” be deleted. It was also proposed that in Rule/Section 6(j), the number of private members may be specified and in Rule/Section 20(1), after the expression “the PPRA”, the words “as the case may be” be bracketed.

It was suggested that in Rule/Section 20(8), “minor” and “major” procurements be differentiated, with the addition of procedures and conditions for a single procurement, and the procedure for annulment of the major mixed procurement and subsequent actions.

The Cabinet Division told the meeting that the PPRA was requested to comply with the directives of the prime minister and submit an amended draft bill. Subsequently, the PPRA presented a revised draft of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority Ordinance (Amendment) Bill, 2025 after incorporating the amendments mentioned by the PM.

While reviewing the bill, the prime minister identified certain inconsistencies in the draft amendments and gave directives that the summary be resubmitted after making necessary corrections.

Accordingly, the PPRA was again requested to incorporate the amendments pointed out by the premier into the draft bill. Complying with the directives, the PPRA placed a final version of the amendment bill before the cabinet. A certificate was also submitted by the PPRA managing director to endorse that the changes ordered by the PM had been incorporated.

In view of the foregoing, in-principle approval of the cabinet was solicited in terms of Rule 18(2) read with Rules 16(1) and 25 of the Rules of Business, 1973. The cabinet examined the summary titled “Amendment in Public Procurement Regulatory Authority Ordinance, 2002,” submitted by the Cabinet Division, and approved the proposals.