KARACHI - The Sindh government has decided to establish a Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (SPPRA) for improving governance, management, transparency and accountability in the province, official sources told The Nation on Sunday. According to a senior official of government, the objective of this proposed authority is to improve the quality public procurement of goods, works and services in the public sector as presently no such authority exists in the province to monitor the quality and accountability of the materials being procured in the public sector. Official reminded that the central government had already established a public procurement authority on federal level while it desired that all the provinces should also follow the footsteps of Islamabad for establishing such public procurement regulatory authorities. However, he said, by taking lead from all the provinces, the Sindh government has submitted a Bill - Sindh Public Procurement Bill 2009 - in the assembly to establish SPPRA. The bill is likely to be passed in the current session of the Assembly. Disclosing salient features of the proposed authority, he said that the headquarters of the authority would be in Karachi while it may establish its offices in other districts of the province. The authority would take such measures and exercise such powers that may be necessary for improving governance, management, transparency, accountability and quality of public procurement of goods, services and works in the public sector, as well as in collaboration with the private sector. The SPPRA will be authorised to examine, evaluate and assess the application of laws, rules, regulations, policies and procedures regarding procurement of public sector, official said, adding that it would also conduct research and recommend to government to formulate laws, rules and procedures relating to procurement. Moreover, this authority would also call any functionary of procuring agencies to provide assistance in its functions while it will also provide dispute resolution mechanism in line with the best international practices. A 15-member board of directors under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary of the Sindh government will run the affairs of the authority. The Additional Chief Secretary of the Planning and Development Department of Sindh will be Vice Chairman, while in absence of Chairman, he would hold/preside over the meetings of the authority. Meanwhile, board of directors of authority will be consisted of Secretaries of Finance, Law, Irrigation, Information and Works and Services Departments, President Karachi Chambers of Commerce and Industry or his nominee, a nominee of Pakistan Engineering Council, government nominee two renowned professionals in Information Technology and management and financial sectors, a representative of Transparency International Pakistan, two members from civil society, a representative of the Auditor General of Pakistan and Managing Director of the Authority. Sindh government has taken this step to establish Public Procurement Authority for ensuring the governance, transparency and quality in the procurement of goods, works and services in the public sector, official said.