Islamabad, (Parliament Times) : A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) to prevent bid rigging. The agreement was signed by the Secretary CCP, Maryam Parvez and NAB’s Director General Operations, Muhammad Tahir, in the presence of NAB Chairman, Lieutenant General (Retd) Nazir Ahmed, and CCP Chairman, Dr. Kabir Ahmed Sidhu.
Under this agreement, there will be an exchange of information between NAB and CCP to promote transparent procurement and fair competition. Both organizations will also collaborate on technical cooperation and joint strategies. The agreement will ensure access to bid data, identification of risks, and compliance with relevant laws.
On this occasion, NAB Chairman, Lieutenant General (Retd) Nazir Ahmed said that NAB will play a pivotal role in ensuring transparency by strictly adhering to the rules and regulations in use of public resources. He further emphasized that NAB will proceed against those engaging in illegal practices. He also mentioned that tackling corruption and collusion is a joint responsibility of both NAB and CCP. NAB will utilize CCP’s expertise in data analysis to protect the national ex-chequer from the losses caused by corruption in public procurement.
Chairman NAB added that NAB will assist CCP in addressing cartels and collusion in public procurement. He emphasized that procurement procedures and laws have become outdated, and there is a need for more vigilant oversight of mega contracts.
Dr. Kabir Sidhu, Chairman of the Competition Commission, said that strict monitoring of cartelization in government tenders is essential. He confirmed that both CCP and NAB have agreed to undertake joint action against collusion in public procurement. He further stated that the exchange of data and evidence between the two institutions would expedite investigations. Recently, the CCP exposed cartelization in power distribution companies’ tenders, and collusion in government procurement results in a significant loss of national resources.
Dr. Sidhu also mentioned that CCP can provide NAB with evidence-based data for criminal proceedings. To date, the CCP has identified 136 potential cartel cases, and it has made the largest recovery in its history, amounting to a fine of 100 million rupees.