President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has emphasized the importance of implementing a procurement plan and strengthening the National Procurement Commission (NPC).
The President shared these views in a meeting held at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (28), where he engaged in an in-depth discussion with NPC officials on the current procurement laws and procedures, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said in a statement.
Officials from the National Procurement Commission informed the President that although around 60% of all government expenditures, including capital expenses, should ideally follow a proper procurement process, shortcomings in this process are causing significant losses to the government. This, they noted, creates greater opportunities for fraud and corruption, the statement added.
The discussion also covered issues related to delays, lack of transparency, and inefficiencies in the procurement process. Attention was given to minimizing shortcomings in handling unsolicited proposals and Public-Private Partnership (PPP) procurements.
President Dissanayake pointed out the need to further expand the authority of the NPC to establish more systematic procurement planning, according to the PMD.
The meeting was attended by Secretary to the Presidential Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, NPC Chairperson Sudharma Karunaratne, and other officials from the National Procurement Commission.