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Call for women's participation in government procurement

FE REPORT | December 03, 2019 00:00:00


Speakers at a dialogue have underscored the need for creating an enabling environment in public procurement system for women's participation to better implement development projects.

Necessary policy changes should be made to ensure that women entrepreneurs can largely participate in public procurement.

They said this at a policy dialogue on 'Engaging Women Entrepreneurs in Public Procurement' at Central Procurement Technical Unit (CPTU) under Implementation Monitoring Evaluation Division (IMED) on Sunday.

Planning ministry in association with International Trade Centre and Business Initiative Leading Development (BUILD) hosted the event where planning division secretary Nurul Amin was the chief guest.

CPTU director general (additional secretary) Md Ali Noor attended the programme as the special guest. Dohatec chairman Luna Shamsuddoha was present as the guest of honour at the event with BUILD CEO Ferdous Ara Begum in the chair.

Secretary Nurul Amin said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at a recent ECNEC meeting gave directives to simplify the policy on public procurement so that participation of women increases in the process.

"Women's participation in public procurement can encourage corruption-free tendering system and boost development programmes," he said.

The premier is also working to ensure access to finance for women and she is also sincere to bring down bank interest rates to single digit, he added.

At the event, Mr Noor assured that CPTU would positively consider necessary changes in the policy to allow women entrepreneurs to participate in public procurement.

The experience of the private sector is not considered for government work because of the public procurement rules to cope with best international practices, he added.

Presenting a keynote paper, BUILD gender consultant Mehruna Islam Chowdhury cited major challenges and drawbacks in the policy that retards women's participation in the public procurement.

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