CA SL’s public sector wing highlights key reforms in Procurement Guidelines 2024

A panel discussion in session

The Association of Public Finance Accountants of Sri Lanka (APFASL), the public sector wing of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka), successfully concluded a seminar and launched a training programme on the newly introduced ProcurementGuidelines 2024. 

The event, held on January 30, 2025, brought together over 400 public sector officials. 

National Procurement Commission (NPC) Chairperson Sudharma Karunaratne, who attended the event as the chief guest, commended the programme, stating, “This seminar and training programme is a very opportune initiative by the APFASL that will undoubtedly contribute to promoting governance and discipline in public finance. The NPC extends its gratitude to the APFASL for spearheading this effort.” 

CA Sri Lanka Vice President Tishan Subasinghe emphasised the institute’s commitment to enhancing public financial management(PFM) standards. 

He said, “CA Sri Lanka, together with our public sector wing considers it our responsibility to assist the government in elevating public financial management standards. This programme is a significant step forward in our efforts to promote governance and PFM discipline inthe country.” 

The day’s proceedings included three insightful presentations that highlighted key aspects of Procurement Guidelines 2024 and introduced a comprehensive two-day training programme on the new guidelines, which was officially launched during the seminar. The seminar highlighted key updates in Procurement Guidelines 2024, including combining guidelines and procedures into one manual, expanding the scope to include e-procurement and sustainability and introducing better planning tools and processes. It also emphasised improved bid evaluation with life cycle costing and domestic preferences. New chapters on sustainable procurement and e-procurement aim to modernise and enhance public sectorprocurement practices.

The APFASL reaffirmed its commitment to providing impactful training and capacity-building initiatives for public sector professionals to support the effective implementation of reforms outlined in Procurement Guidelines 2024.