Bhutan

Issue: Procurement legislation does not comprehensively cover all entities and has limited provisions for sustainable procurement.

Recommendations:

• Consolidate procurement legislation for greater coherence and consistency.
• Develop a national policy on sustainable public procurement (SPP) with clear objectives and monitoring tools.

Issue: Procurement is not formally recognized as a professional career, and oversight capacity is limited.

Recommendations:

• Establish a procurement cadre with structured career paths, training, and certification.
• Strengthen capacity building through continuous professional development programs.
• Improve independence and effectiveness of oversight institutions.

Issue: Weak procurement planning, poor contract management, and limited participation of SMEs in public tenders.

Recommendations:

• Introduce better procurement planning and market research practices.
• Strengthen contract management systems and monitoring.
• Facilitate greater SME participation by simplifying bidding processes and lowering barriers.

Issue: Weak complaints mechanisms and insufficient transparency in procurement data.

Recommendations:

• Establish an independent complaints and appeals mechanism.
• Ensure mandatory disclosure of procurement data through the e-GP system.
• Reinforce anti-corruption safeguards, including stronger enforcement of conflict-of-interest rules.