Gaps in public procurement process in Sri Lankan construction industry

Abstract

Procurement Process is back bone of the country to achieve the economic development. Accordingly, since 2006, government of Sri Lanka has made significant efforts toward to reform and develop the Public Procurement Process (Public PP) in construction industry with the assistance of the Ministry of Finance and Planning (MOFP), the Construction Industry Development Authority (CIDA), foreign funding agencies, and relevant institutions and practitioners. Current regime is in process of formulating a sustainable framework to the Public PP not only to the construction industry but also to the entire industries. Thus aim of this paper is to carryout comprehensive diagnosis to identify the gaps in Public PP in Sri Lankan construction industry and propose remedial measures to bridge the gaps in order to facilitate the government endeavour. Paper is based on secondary data and opinions of experts. The gaps are identified as absence of procurement strategy and legislative framework, lack of integration with governance, unavailability of procurement regulatory body, and Incapable Capacity Development. Further paper presents the remedial measures and provides recommendations to bridge the gaps that will enable to the GOSL to initiate the Sustainable Public Procurement Process (SPPP) to the construction industry. Findings revealed that establishment of procurement strategy and legislative framework, integration with governance, establishment of procurement regulatory body, and capacity development as the remedies in line with the short term, medium term, and long term measures to initiate and implement contemporary version of Public PP to the Sri Lankan Construction industry.