New committee structure covers procurement approvals, bid evaluation, physical inspection and complaints under the Public Procurement Rules, 2004.
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has reconstituted and extended its procurement committees for financial year 2026-27, assigning them responsibility for overseeing procurement activities under the FBR Transformation Plan and other assignments approved by the competent authority.
According to a notification, the committees will operate in accordance with the Public Procurement Rules, 2004, as amended from time to time. The reconstitution follows the FBR’s earlier notification issued on December 11, 2024.
The new arrangements cover key stages of the procurement process, including approval of procurement requirements, technical and financial evaluation of bids, physical inspection of supplied goods and equipment, and resolution of grievances submitted by aggrieved bidders.
The notification establishes four key committees: the Procurement Committee, Technical/Financial Evaluation Committee, Physical Inspection Committee and Grievance Redressal Committee.
Procurement Committee
The Procurement Committee will be chaired by the Member (Administration/HR). The Member (Audit/CRM), Member (Customs Operations), Chief (Administration and Finance) and Secretary (Administration) will serve as members, with the Secretary (Administration) acting as secretary to the committee.
The chairperson may co-opt additional members where required.
The committee will validate procurement requirements and approve procurement activities before the opening of bids and after issuance of the bid evaluation report.
It will also approve bid evaluation reports and decide on the award of contracts to qualified bidders.
At least two-thirds of the committee’s members must be present to constitute a quorum.
Technical and Financial Evaluation Committee
The FBR has also established a Technical/Financial Evaluation Committee to oversee key aspects of bid preparation and assessment.
The committee will comprise the Member (IR-Operations), Member (Customs Policy), Chief (Tax Reforms), Chief (Management/HR-IR), Chief (Management/HR-Customs), Chief (F&C)-Customs, Secretary (Expenditure)-IR and Chief Executive Officer of Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited (PRAL).
The Secretary (Expenditure)-IR will serve as secretary, while the chairperson may nominate additional members with relevant expertise.
The committee will formulate tender documents and ensure that evaluation criteria are proportionate and appropriate to the nature, complexity, risk, value, market conditions and objectives of each procurement.
It will determine the market approach, selection method, procurement magnitude and technical specifications, as well as prepare customised procurement documents where required.
The committee will receive, open and evaluate bids and proposals in accordance with prescribed procedures. Financial proposals will be evaluated under Rules 35 and 36 of the Public Procurement Rules, along with applicable regulations issued by the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA).
Safeguards for bid evaluation
The notification also establishes safeguards governing requests for clarification from bidders and prospective consultants.
Any clarification sought from a bidder must not result in a change to the price or substance of the bid.
Similarly, a bid declared non-responsive cannot subsequently be made responsive by altering its contents or by relying on information outside the bid or procurement documents.
The notification further requires any conflict of interest involving bidders, consultants, prospective participants or evaluators to be reported immediately in writing.
A committee member found to have a conflict of interest will be replaced by another member.
The Technical/Financial Evaluation Committee will also require a two-thirds quorum for its proceedings.
Physical Inspection Committee
The Physical Inspection Committee will be chaired by the Chief (IR-Operations), with the Secretary (Coordination), Secretary (E&C), Second Secretary (Store/Transport) and any co-opted members nominated by the chairperson serving on the committee.
Its primary responsibility will be to physically inspect and verify goods, equipment and services supplied under procurement contracts.
The committee will determine whether supplied goods and equipment conform to the prescribed specifications. Similar checks will apply, where relevant, to service-related procurements.
It will also verify that goods are stored, supplied and retained in accordance with applicable standard operating procedures (SOPs) and delivered in the prescribed quantities.
Two-thirds of the committee’s members will constitute a quorum.
Grievance Redressal Committee
The FBR has also constituted a Grievance Redressal Committee to hear complaints from bidders who are aggrieved by the procurement process.
The committee will be chaired by the Member (IR-Legal), with the Member (IR-Policy), Member (Legal & Accounting Customs), Director General (IT & DT), Secretary (Management/HR-IR-I) and Secretary (Management/HR-Customs-III/IV) serving as members.
The chairperson may also nominate an expert from the relevant field where specialised knowledge is required.
Under its terms of reference, the committee will hear aggrieved parties and bidders, examine their complaints and concerns, and make recommendations for a final decision in accordance with applicable rules.
It will consider complaints relating to technical evaluation reports, financial evaluation reports and the bidding process.
The committee must prepare a formal report setting out its decisions and providing justification for accepting or rejecting each grievance.
It may also co-opt members with relevant technical expertise whenever necessary.
Focus on procurement transparency and compliance
The revised committee structure assigns responsibilities across different stages of the FBR’s procurement process, from identifying requirements and preparing tender documents to evaluating bids, inspecting deliveries and addressing bidder grievances.
The framework also requires procurement decisions to comply with the Public Procurement Rules, 2004, while establishing procedures for dealing with conflicts of interest and complaints.
The arrangements will apply to procurements undertaken under the FBR Transformation Plan and other procurement activities assigned by the competent authority during FY2026-27.