Kathmandu. In line with the government’s goal of making the public procurement process transparent, competitive and accountable, the Public Procurement Monitoring Office has blacklisted 120 firms and companies since March 27.

The Public Procurement Monitoring Office under the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Singha Durbar, has blacklisted the firms and companies not abiding by the prevailing laws and procedures related to public procurement and not fulfilling the responsibility assigned to the procurement works.

Since the formation of the present government, various reform programs have been initiated to make the public procurement system more transparent, competitive and credible. In this regard, the second amendment to the Public Procurement Act, 2063 and the fifteenth and sixteenth amendments to the Public Procurement Rules, 2064 have been implemented.

Similarly, nine types of Model Tender Documents (SBDs) have been revised in line with the changes in the Act and Regulations. This is expected to help in making the public procurement process systematic and effective.

The office has also conducted a training program to enhance the capacity of the employees involved in the public procurement process. A total of 712 employees have been trained, including 556 in the office’s own project and an additional 156 in partnership with various public agencies.

The government has initiated various reform efforts to control irregularities in public procurement, promote fair competition and ensure effective utilization of public resources. The government aims to increase public confidence in the procurement system by maintaining discipline, transparency and accountability in public procurement.