The Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives is seeking exemption from the Public Procurement Regulatory Framework (including PPRA Rules and Regulations) for the special program for hiring consulting firms to support the ministries.
Sources told ProPakistani that the Ministry has moved a proposal to the federal cabinet seeking approval for the special procurement process for the program regarding the engagement of top consulting firms as well an exemption of the procurement of the consulting firms pursuant to the program from the operation of the PPRA Ordinance and the rules and regulation thereunder, as recommended by the SIFC Executive Committee in its meeting held on 24th April 2024.
They added that the prime minister while presiding over a meeting on, ‘Augmenting Talent in Federal Ministries’ dated 9th April 2024 has directed that the Public Private Partnership Authority (P3A) directed to select a pool of top-rated consultancy firms and make them available for the federal government’s
ministries.
Subsequently, a special session of the Executive Committee of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) was presided over by the Ministry of Planning and Developed dated 18th April 2024, wherein, it was decided that a special program for engaging top consulting firms would be launched (through a special procurement process), which will be considered and managed by the P3A.
The said program as per the SIFC’s directives, shall focus on; advisory support from the top-level consulting firms engaged through the P3A program and shall be available to any ministry of the federal government as well as the Board of Investment, the SIFC, and P3A. The program will be in place for a period of five years from the date of approval by the federal government.
The SIFC Executive Committee also directed that the matter regarding the special procurement process be forwarded for approval of the PPRA and the Federal Cabinet, which shall be granted for the entire program rather than individual contracts.
Th
e SIFC Executive Committee deliberated the matter concerning the special program during Its 9th meeting held on 24th April 2024 and it was decided that the SIFC would in the national interest, recommend to the federal government an exemption of PPRA rules for the special procurement process for the 5-year program for ‘Hiring Top Quality Consultants’.
As such, the procurement of the consulting firms pursuant to this program shall be governed by the framework (including the conditions, limitations and restrictions) recommended by SIFC for approval of the Federal Cabinet, as well as any additional procedure approved for the Special Program by the special Joint Committee on consulting support to be formed to regulate the Special Program and shall be exempt from the operation of the PPRA Ordinance and the rules and regulation thereunder.
The prime minister directed the meeting to review Saudi Investment held on 23rd April 2024 to obtain cabinet approval.
Now the Ministry of Planning has reportedly decided to se
ek cabinet approval for the special procurement process for the program for the engagement of top consulting firms as well as an exemption of the procurement of the consulting firms pursuant to the program from the operation of the PPRA Ordinance and the rules and regulation thereunder, as recommended by the SIFC Executive Committee in its meeting held on 24th April 2024.
Source: Pro Pakistani