KATHMANDU, Sept 15: Lawmaker Ashish Gajurel has said Nepal’s electronic government procurement system (e-GP) has not been suspended indefinitely but is undergoing improvements after serious security and technical weaknesses were identified.
In a social media post, Gajurel said the current e-GP software had a vulnerability that could allow one bidder to view or access another bidder’s bid and related information.
He warned that such access could undermine fair competition in public procurement and cause financial losses to the country. He said suspending the system temporarily to fix the weakness was therefore the appropriate step.
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Gajurel clarified that public procurement and contract processes have not stopped despite the ongoing work on e-GP. Authorities are currently accepting, opening and evaluating bids, selecting contractors and signing contracts through physical documents instead of the electronic system.
“E-GP has not been shut down indefinitely. Let’s understand what is actually happening,” Gajurel said.
According to him, experts are working to address the system’s weaknesses and authorities will restore e-GP as soon as the necessary improvements are completed.
Gajurel also stressed that an effective public procurement system is essential for timely and efficient implementation of development projects. Continuing practices that compromise the procurement process, he said, could ultimately harm the country.
He said he has urged the Public Procurement Monitoring Office to restore the e-GP system as soon as possible and is helping facilitate the process.
