en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) will launch the upgraded Electronic Pakistan Acquisition and Disposal System (EPADS 2.0), developed under the "One Nation, One System" vision, aimed at modernizing procurement processes and enhancing transparency.
PPRA Managing Director Hasnat Ahmed Qureshi stated at a press conference on Thursday that EPADS 2.0 is an internally developed end-to-end procurement and contract management platform, designed in line with international standards and future digital governance requirements. The system features automated supplier registration, beneficial owner verification, e-invoicing, digital payments, electronic bid submission, system-based bid evaluation, inter-agency integration, oversight dashboards, and commitment accounting, aimed at improving financial planning.
The launch of EPADS 2.0 builds on the success of EPADS 1.0, which processed transactions worth over PKR 1.4 trillion in fiscal year 2024-25, registering more than 10,000 public sector organizations and 51,000 suppliers. Since its implementation in February 2026, EPADS 2.0 has registered 1,824 procuring agencies and 18,909 suppliers, and completed approximately 7,000 procurements. The system is fully integrated with FBR, NADRA, SECP, PEC, PRA, and DRAP, with oversight extended to NAB, CCP, and the Auditor General of Pakistan.
Qureshi noted that thanks to the Prime Minister's focus on modernizing the procurement landscape and the rapid implementation of EPADS in fiscal year 2024-25, administrative procurement costs have been reduced by PKR 20.52 billion, with PKR 17.18 billion saved by procuring agencies and PKR 3.33 billion by suppliers. These savings stem from improved efficiency, reduced business costs, and streamlined processes.
He also emphasized that procurement through EPADS offers significant potential for savings in contract costs compared to manual processes. Just four procurements alone saved PKR 1.86 billion. These include HEC's procurement of 100,000 laptops, GEPCO and PESCO saving PKR 105.6 million on energy meter procurement, the KP Textbook Board reducing book purchase costs from PKR 3.39 billion to PKR 2.75 billion, and the Federal Directorate of Immunization's (FDI) Td vaccine procurement, achieving an average saving of 8.29%, with potential reaching 10-15%.
Alongside digital transformation, PPRA has implemented multi-sector reforms based on a diagnostic review by World Bank international experts, following the reform roadmap approved by the Prime Minister. Regulatory reform initiatives include amendments to the PPRA Regulations 2002, the formulation of the Public Procurement Rules 2025, and the introduction of the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards Compliance Regulations and the Public Asset Disposal Regulations 2026. The new rules mandate e-procurement and e-disposal, provide for a grievance committee, strengthen blacklisting mechanisms, introduce third-party oversight, and propose efficiency measures such as framework agreements and contract management.
In terms of capacity building, 14,752 officials and suppliers have been trained to date, including 7,491 since the launch of EPADS in 2023. PPRA conducts training courses directly and in collaboration with universities such as LUMS, IBA, NUST, Air University, and COMSATS.
The MD PPRA also unveiled a five-year reform roadmap (2026-2031), which envisions nationwide rollout of EPADS 2.0, adoption of the Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS), establishment of monitoring and evaluation dashboards, development of a procurement module for multilateral development bank-funded projects, building a state-owned enterprise module, integrating contract management, formulating a national procurement strategy, implementing sustainable procurement policies, integrating AI-based analytics, achieving measurable reductions in non-compliance, shortening procurement processing times, and promoting professionalization of procurement officers and suppliers.
