The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance (MOF) launched a two-day virtual procurement training on Jun 22 to strengthen procurement capacity of ADB-financed projects in the Lao PDR to improve their procurement quality.
Ms. Sisomboun Ounavong, Director General, Department of International Cooperation, MPI and Ms. Sonomi Tanaka, Country Director, the Lao PDR Resident Mission, ADB opened the workshop.
Over 50 project directors and managers from executing and implementing agencies of ADB-financed projects, who are involved in ADB procurement of goods, works, consulting services and non-consulting services, attended and learned the application of the Government Law on Procurement as well as ADB’s Procurement Regulations for ADB Borrowers (2017) and Guidance Notes on complaint mechanism, contract management, and abnormally low bids.
“The procurement training is a prerequisite for the effective implementation of the on-going ADB-financed projects in the Lao PDR. It will help the government to ensure a smooth and timely response to procurement related issues in various stages of project implementation and the role of ADB in facilitating this,” said Ms. Tanaka.
As of 31 April 2021, the total amount of ADB portfolio for the Lao PDR is US$840.9 million for 24 ongoing projects that support development of the Lao PDR in various sectors such as health security in responding to Covid-19, higher and technical and vocational education and training, agriculture infrastructure developments and natural resources and environmental management, and water supply, urban services, tourism, and trade facilitation.
The procurement training is part of ADB’s training series related to the effective project implementation for the Lao PDR in 2021 such as the trainings on bidding process, loan disbursements, environment and social safeguards, and gender.
Improving the quality of procurement does not just help improve the quality and efficiency of the project delivery but also help promote transparency and value for money for the government’s investment projects through ADB’s supports in the Lao PDR.
These efforts will contribute to achieving the development results envisaged under the 9th Socioeconomic Development Plan as well as the Sustainable Development Goals.
Source: Lao News Agency