KATHMANDU: The House of Representatives on Sunday unanimously approved a proposal to consider the Public Procurement (Second Amendment) Bill, 2026, aimed at making the public procurement system more transparent, efficient, and accountable.

Presenting the proposal on behalf of Prime Minister Balendra Shah, Minister for Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Sobita Gautam said the bill seeks to improve project implementation by discouraging abnormally low bids, strengthening accountability, and ensuring timely completion of public projects. The bill also proposes legal action against contractors or agencies that obstruct projects or misuse advance payments.

During the discussion, lawmakers welcomed the provision to disqualify bids priced more than 30 percent below the approved cost estimate and called for greater use of domestic construction materials and stricter enforcement against contractors who abandon projects.