KATHMANDU, Dec 19: Transparency International Nepal (TIN) has urged the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) not to award contracts for smart license and printing of passports to any firms without inviting competitive bids.

The government is printing smart license and passports in an effort to modernize information dissemination between its various agencies and departments. However, such contracts have reportedly been awarded to certain firms without soliciting competitive bids.

TIN Chair Khemraj Regmi wrote to the PMO and pointed out that awarding of contracts arbitrarily is against the law and called for necessary corrective measures.

Likewise, he has also reminded the PMO of the government’s policy of zero tolerance against corruption. “To award contract without competitive bidding would go against the government’s policy of zero-tolerance against corruption...the decision should be corrected immediately,” he wrote. 

 
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