Date: October 2023

Transparency International (TI) Pakistan filed a complaint with Sindh authorities over violations of Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority or SPPRA regulations in the procurement services for climate-resilient infrastructure projects. The complaint focused the lack of adherence to proper procurement procedures in a call for submission of proposals by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC). The services sought included planning, design, and construction supervision for various infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, flyovers, and stormwater drainage systems.

TI-Pakistan identified several irregularities and fraudulent practices in the tender documents, including vague and unclear scope of work, insufficient project details, and failing to publish the call on the website. Additional concerns involved not issuing modified Request for Proposal (RFP) documents in a timely manner, leading to restricted competition, and the absence of clear evaluation criteria for consultants.  As a result of these findings, Sindh procurement authorities cancelled the procurement process, labelling it as mis-procurement and instructed KMC to initiate a fresh call for proposal submission in accordance with SPPRA 2010 regulations.

The urgency for climate-resilient infrastructure in Karachi, Sindh’s capital, stems from climate-related challenges like sea-level rise, heatwaves, and water scarcity due to its coastal location. However, corruption and mismanagement in climate projects divert resources, hinder trust, and compromise infrastructure quality. Addressing these issues is crucial to ensuring the city’s resilience to climate-related threats and safeguarding the well/being of its residents.

Sources:

Transparency International Pakistan

Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority