Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)– Four key government agencies — Roads and Highways Department, Local Government Engineering Department, Rural Electrification Board, and Bangladesh Water Development Board — have launched the pilot phase of electronic-government procurement (E-GP) by inviting several tenders. 
As a major step towards implementing the follow-on Public Procurement Reform Project II (PPRP II), the government has taken an initiative to introduce electronic tendering in phases in all public sector organizations, thus bringing more transparency and accountability in public procurement system, a World Bank press statement said on Tuesday. 
The government has also started the piloting of online procurement performance monitoring system in these agencies. 
A World Bank team recently reviewed the status of PPRP II and noted that the project is progressing well in improving transparency and competitiveness, according to the statement. 
The World Bank provided US$24 million concessionary interest-free credit for the project which will end in March 2013. Already more than 69 percent of the committed amount has been disbursed. 
The Central Procurement Technical Unit (CPTU) of the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) has been implementing the project in coordination with the four key agencies.
BBN/SSR/AD-13Dec11-5:14 pm (BST)