Govt Exempts Better Work Program From PPRA Rules

The federal government has exempted the Better Work Program (BWP) from the applicability of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules. Sources said that the ministry of Overseas Pakistan and Human Resource Development requested the federal cabinet from PPRA rules in respect of Export Development Fund (EDF) for the BWP under section 21 of the PPRA ordinance 2002. Federal government many consider grant of exemption to the EDF for the BWP 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 is not exceeded and the procurement for the project shall be undertaken by the ILO in accordance with its rules, regulations, directives, and procedures. Sources said that the PPRA board in its 53 meetings held in August 2021 directed the PPRA management to recommend exemption to the EDF of the BWP. “The board decided to recommend exemption from the applicability of PPRA rules to the EDF for the BWP 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”, sources added. Sources further added that the ministry of OP&HRD has stated that the expected cost of the project is $251,564 besides a major cost of $2,986,288 of the three-year pilot BWP will be incurred on staff salaries. The ILO is 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 EDF.