The government has given policy-level and final approval to the draft Public Procurement (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, aimed at modernizing the country’s public procurement system.

The approval was given at a Cabinet meeting held on Sunday (September 20) morning, chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

The Cabinet Division disclosed the information in a press release.

According to the release, the proposed amendments to the Public Procurement Act are intended to protect the interests of domestic industries, increase competition in procurement, expand provisions related to the administration and management of procurement contracts, and modernize procedures under the open tendering method.

The draft also proposes introducing ratio-based evaluation criteria for the procurement of goods, works and physical services to promote sustainable procurement. The approach is described as being equivalent to the internationally practiced concept of “rated criteria.”

Other proposed changes include expanding the use of the limited tendering method to ensure balanced distribution of resources, clarifying provisions related to professional misconduct, and creating alternative procurement arrangements for urgent state requirements.

The draft ordinance was placed before the Cabinet with the aim of introducing these timely changes to the public procurement system.

The Cabinet gave final approval to the draft ordinance subject to vetting by the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division.