By The Pulseline News Desk
Sri Lanka has introduced a major reform to its public procurement process, allowing government institutions to complete most procurement procedures before the national budget is approved, in a move expected to save up to six months in project implementation time.
Secretary to the Treasury Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma has said the revised approach would address longstanding delays in government projects by allowing ministries, departments and other public institutions to begin procurement activities during the preceding financial year.
Under the previous system, government institutions had to wait until Parliament approved the annual budget before initiating procurement procedures. For large-scale projects and complex procurements, the process alone could take between six and eight months, leaving institutions with limited time to implement projects within the same financial year.
Explaining the reform, Dr. Suriyapperuma has said the Treasury had worked with the National Procurement Commission (NPC) to introduce a new methodology that allows procurement activities for the following year to be undertaken in advance.
Under the new arrangement, institutions preparing projects for 2027 can advertise procurement opportunities, invite tenders, shortlist and select bidders, appoint Bid Evaluation Committees (BECs) and High-Level Procurement Committees, and complete the necessary evaluation procedures up to the contract award stage.
Once Parliament approves the Budget, the relevant institutions can immediately issue award letters to the selected bidders from the beginning of January. “We have saved six months in the process,” Dr. Suriyapperuma has said, explaining that the change would provide government institutions with more time to implement projects and improve the utilisation of public funds.
The reform is expected to reduce the time lost to administrative procedures and allow project implementation to begin earlier in the financial year.
National Single Window for Trade goes live
In another significant development, Sri Lanka’s long-awaited National Single Window for Trade has officially commenced operations in pilot mode, marking progress in efforts to modernise the country’s trade facilitation system.
Dr. Suriyapperuma has said the platform went live on November 5, following nearly two decades of efforts to establish a centralised digital system for trade-related procedures.
The initiative is intended to simplify interactions between businesses and government agencies by bringing trade-related processes onto a single digital platform.
The system is being introduced in stages, with the tea and coconut sectors becoming the first two segments to be integrated.
According to the Treasury Secretary, the initial implementation has produced encouraging results, with the first two container shipments processed entirely through the online system successfully departing Sri Lanka.
He has said the successful movement of the shipments demonstrated that the platform was operational and capable of supporting businesses through a more streamlined digital process.
The gradual expansion of the system is expected to make trade procedures more efficient and reduce administrative obstacles faced by exporters.
Focus on export reliability and market confidence
Dr. Suriyapperuma has said the broader objective of the trade facilitation initiative was to ensure that Sri Lankan businesses could maintain production, meet contractual obligations and continue supplying international markets despite challenges in the global economic environment.
He has emphasised that uninterrupted supplies to overseas buyers were essential to rebuilding Sri Lanka’s reputation as a reliable trading partner.
The Government’s approach is focused on ensuring that businesses can consistently deliver products and services according to their commitments, while strengthening confidence among international buyers.
He has noted that consistency in supply had become particularly important as businesses worldwide navigated economic uncertainty and disruptions.
For Sri Lanka, maintaining reliable export operations is critical to strengthening its external sector, protecting existing international market relationships and generating foreign exchange.
The introduction of the National Single Window, alongside the procurement reforms, forms part of the Government’s wider efforts to improve administrative efficiency, accelerate project delivery and modernise economic operations.
While the procurement changes are expected to give public institutions a significant head start in implementing annual projects, the success of the trade platform will depend on its gradual expansion and the effective integration of the remaining trade-related agencies and sectors.
Leave a comment