Tender process sees significant improvement with digital platform

KATHMANDU: Entrepreneurs involved in the construction business can now breathe a sigh of relief as the government has adopted the digital platform for the tender process.

The e-tender system that the government has adopted has gone a long way in easing the problems of concerned entrepreneurs in all aspects from documentation to cost management while bidding for a tender.

It has significantly reduced irregularities, corruption, biases, barriers and many other unforeseen problems that were prevalent five years back in the country’s tender system.

Till 2015, entrepreneurs had to face many obstacles at each step of the process to get a tender but now they can do it even from the comfort of their homes.

Previously, whenever a tender was announced there was a lot of corruption involved and the process used to be manipulated by big entrepreneurs.

Ravi Singh, president of the Federation of Construction Entrepreneurs, mentioned that in the past a lot of physical effort was required during the tender process. He said that one could win a tender only by manipulating concerned officers or by using political clout.

Singh also said that some entrepreneurs in the past used to obstruct the tender process by mobilizing hooligans and at times even assaulting officers.

He shared his experience on the difficulties in obtaining a tender in the absence of the digital tender system. Singh revealed that previously people used to get beaten up on their way to submit the bid documents and the concerned office also used to be like under a siege by hooligans employed by powerful entrepreneurs. In this manner the powerful ones could get the tender at a cheaper rate.

With the introduction of the digital tender system such activities have been eliminated now and there is fair competition, he states.

Singh also mentioned that a comfortable environment has been created for all the entrepreneurs as various tasks can be done easily from the office or home. With the e-tender system, ordinary business peopleare able to win tenders without any external help. Now entrepreneurs can file all the details including their expenditure cost when the tender is invited.

Prior to the introduction of the digital process, companies had to spend between Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,500 only for documentation while they had to spend up to Rs 5,000 to submit the documents by visiting the concerned office themselves. The cost could even rise up to Rs 20, 000 in case a person from outside the valley had to submit the documents.

Moreover, previously at least four to five staffs were needed to complete the documentation process and it would take two to three days. However, now only two people are required to prepare the documents and it can be done within four hours.

Now, any construction company that can meet the criteria stated in the tender announcement has an equal opportunity of winning a tender. Meanwhile, with the e-tender process everything remains confidential.
However, there are a few problems related to digital tender system.

Singh said that at times the related website cannot handle the load and the system gets stalled. He also mentioned that at times there are complaints of the system being hacked. “So, we need to keep upgrading the system from time to time.”