PRMI Reform View

Elimination of wood specification (Sheesham/ Keekar) for Supply of Furniture and Fixtures to Government departments
Reform ID		S208
Reform Description		Elimination of wood specification (Sheesham/ Keekar) for Supply of Furniture and Fixtures to Government departments Before: Government departments used to specify furniture and fixture made of Sheesham / Keekar wood in their procurement tenders. After: The requirement for furniture made of Sheesham/ Keekar wood was eliminated. Now, furniture businesses can bid with alternatives of Sheesham / Keekar wood.
Sector		Furniture
Beneficiaries		Furniture Manufacturers
Jurisdiction/ Location		Sindh
Department		Services and General Administration Department-Punjab
Date of Implementation
Details	Difficulty	 Government departments, in their tenders to purchase furniture and fixtures, generally required that the furniture shall be made of solid Sheesham or Keekar wood.  Sheesham and Keekar trees were getting scarce because of deforestation and tree diseases, thus making them costly and rendering businesses uncompetitive to participate in bids.  This requirement on part of the government departments was further contributing to the uprooting of these trees.
	Analysis	 After research and consultation, it was found that this requirement is a customary practice and there are good alternatives to Sheesham/ Keekar wood which are equally durable and reliable including imported woods and laminated boards etc.  Therefore, specifying wood type is not in line with essence of PPRA rules.
	Solution	The customary requirement for furniture manufacturing businesses to use only Sheesham or Keekar wood has been eliminated. Departments have been directed not to specify the type of wood, but instead to outline quality and performance requirements, in order to promote healthy competition.
Evidence