Draft law targets greater transparency in government procurement system

China is expected to reinforce oversight and anti-corruption measures in government procurement, with a dedicated digital chapter mandating full-process electronic transactions and complete documentation of procurement activities, according to a draft amendment law.

The draft revision to the Government Procurement Law was submitted on Tuesday to the ongoing session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the country's top legislative body, for first review.

Comprising 104 articles across 10 chapters, the draft revision aims to improve the government procurement system and provide legal support for building a unified national market through better-aligned rules and institutions.

Hao Peng, an official from the NPC Financial and Economic Affairs Committee, said that to strengthen integrity building and reinforce the institutional foundations of oversight and enforcement in public procurement, the draft revision places strong emphasis on improving the supervisory regime and clarifying related legal responsibilities.

He noted that digitalization measures are designed to enhance oversight and reduce human intervention.

The draft also specifies the legal liabilities of procuring entities, procurement agencies, electronic trading platform operators, evaluation experts, suppliers and other relevant parties, he said.

Hao added that legal responsibilities have been further clarified for government procurement supervisory authorities in cases of dereliction of duty, including delayed handling of complaints, unlawful approvals and unjustified imposition of penalties.

Other major revisions include adjustments to the scope of application, stronger alignment of government procurement policies, enhanced whole-process management, improved efficiency and standardization of transaction rules, and refined fair competition mechanisms.