KPK Sports Directorate's Move to Outsource Events: Ensuring Transparency or Repeating Past Mistakes?
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sports Directorate plans to outsource the opening and closing ceremonies of various sports events for the year 2024-25 through private firms. Recently, a pre-bidding meeting was held, attended by representatives of over 14 major companies. This initiative aims to ensure transparency and accountability under the KP Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (KPPRA) rules.
This is not the first time the Sports
Directorate has engaged private firms for event management. A similar move was
made in 2022, where a joint venture with a production house and other
non-governmental entities handled the events. The contractors provided
production services, accommodation for athletes, and transportation. However,
at the time, the contract was awarded to a specific firm without an open
tender, raising concerns about fairness.
This year, to improve transparency, the
bidding process has been initiated under KPPRA rules, and major firms have been
invited to participate. The meeting, held in the committee room of Peshawar
Sports Complex, was attended by officials from various departments, including
the female Additional Director General, Rasheeda Ghaznavi. However, the
contractors who handled the events last year raised the most objections,
questioning the changes in the contract terms this time around.
Contractors primarily objected to the
specific requirements regarding warehousing, staffing, employee salaries, and
production house details. Furthermore, the directorate set conditions for
vehicle experience and hotel arrangements for athletes to ensure smooth
operations during future events. Contractors were also required to disclose
employee numbers and salaries, which some felt could create tax issues for
them. The contractors requested the directorate to ease some of these terms, to
which the administration promised further discussions in upcoming meetings.
If the Provincial Sports Directorate wants
to ensure transparency in this multi-million-rupee project, it must also
address issues related to political favoritism in awarding contracts and
providing adequate facilities and equipment to athletes. Previously, complaints
were raised about the quality of accommodation for athletes, citing issues with
cleanliness and services at the hotels. Additionally, equipment provided to
athletes, such as shoes and kits, often arrived just a day before the events
and did not meet the promised standards.
In the past, the directorate has faced
criticism for accepting subpar supplies due to time constraints, as
replacements would be difficult to arrange at the last minute. Furthermore,
political influence has led to contractors being appointed to oversee production,
resulting in substantial payments without matching the quality of work. This
has been a recurring issue, and the current administration must avoid making
the same mistakes by distancing itself from problematic contractors.
#KPSportsDirectorate #Outsourcing
#SportsEvents #Transparency #SportsManagement #KPK
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