Transparent bidding

We all know that a major chunk of public money goes into kickbacks. There are multiple factors that are causing a drain on the exchequer. The foremost is the practice of asking quotations for carrying out development work. There are many flaws in this process: prices of equipment are not available to the general public directly for viewing, manufacturers quote prices to individuals or institutional buyers at will, quotations are kept secret, strict secrecy is maintained throughout the bidding process, etc. Perhaps the reason for this secrecy is that otherwise bidders may adjust their prices in a way so that the probability of accepting their bids become higher. However, the downside is that secrecy may assist purchasers and bidders to commit ‘underhand’ deals.

One solution to overcome this problem is to direct all manufacturers and suppliers to advertise their prices on the internet. This way one knows the prices of particular machines and their specifications. Any firm not willing to disclose its price should be blacklisted. This way firms will receive more direct buyers, and they will also avoid the hassle of ‘remembering’ how much they have quoted to whom?

Dr Irfan Khattak

Abbottabad