Does Digitalization Matter for Grievance Redress Mechanism? An Analysis of the E-Government Procurement in the Local Government

Abstract

Public procurement denotes the attainment of goods, works, or services required by governments through contracts. Public procurement is usually plagued with covert practices and exclusive forms of corruption in Bangladesh. The cost of development finance is much higher in public procurement than that of others in Bangladesh. There have been no unified rules or laws regarding government purchases since 2006. The Government of Bangladesh enacted its ever first act of public procurement, the Public Procurement Act, 2006 (PPA, 2006), and the Public Procurement Rules, 2008 (PPR, 2008). The procurement entity must disseminate procurement information through electronic medium i.e. Electronic Government Procurement (hereinafter e-GP). Despite passing over an era since its enactment, the role of the PPA, 2006 remains seriously under-researched area, specifically there is no research on the issue of the grievance redress mechanisms. The study has been done using a qualitative case study methodology, backed by both primary and secondary documentary analysis. Based on empirical data, this paper explained the role of digitalization in the process of government procurement and depicted changes that have been brought by the implementation of e-GP in government purchases. However, it concluded that the grievance redress mechanism in the process of procurement is only existing in the policy papers which need mandatory implementation for a transparent and accountable governance system. Despite the significant changes and up-gradation in digital government procurement, it is hardly found that the GRM process is digitalized. And the mass tenderers are yet to be acquainted with the improvised system apart from the consistent efforts of the government.