As part of efforts to attain Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), the Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority (BPPA) has planned the piloting of Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) in the country from the 2024-25 financial year.
Primarily, six products have been selected for piloting of SPP. These are paper and paper products, office supplies, computer and other electronic equipment and supplies, office and other furniture or related wooden appliances, vehicles and other transportation equipment, and official paper-made publications.
However, considering the impact on the environment, four other sectors like building and road constructions, water and energy are now considered for piloting of SPP. The BPPA has also selected focal persons for this from the respective procuring agencies.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BPPA, Mohammed Shoheler Rahman Chowdhury, revealed the plan while making special remarks at the opening of a three-day training for master trainers of SPP at a city hotel, according to a press release.
Organised by BPPA in collaboration with the World Bank, the training commenced on 27 June 2024 and concluded on 29 June 2024.
The welcome address was given by Nagaraju Duthaluri, lead procurement specialist of the World Bank, Dhaka Office, and the opening remarks were made by Operations Manager Gayle Martin.
The World Bank has engaged Jellie Molino, an international consultant, under the Climate Support Facility-Bangladesh grant for the knowledge-sharing programme on Green Procurement. The use of SPP/GPP instead of traditional procurement will help countries deliver on SDGs, improve environmental performance and develop markets with sustainable products and services and drive innovation.
Meanwhile, the first-ever Annual Performance Agreement (APA) of BPPA for 2024-25 fiscal year was signed yesterday between the CEO of BPPA and the secretary of Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED).
The CEO of BPPA Mohammed Shoheler Rahman Chowdhury, on behalf of BPPA, and IMED Secretary Abul Kashem Md Mohiuddin, on behalf of the Ministry of Planning, signed the APA at the conference room of the IMED on the campus of the Ministry of Planning in Dhaka, said a press release.