TIB Warns to Avoid ‘Vendor Lock‑In’ as $250 Million World Bank Digital Governance Project Advances
Bangladesh’s planned US $250 million “Strengthening Institutions for Transparency and Accountability” (SITA) project, financed by the World Bank, must prioritise home‑grown technology solutions and guard against costly proprietary software traps, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has cautioned.
The five‑year programme aims to fully automate income‑tax administration, upgrade statistical systems, digitise public procurement and investment management, and bring greater transparency to government auditing.
Yet TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman recalled a string of past ICT mis‑steps—most notably a foreign‑procured tax‑filing platform that “eventually became unusable,” forcing the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to commission a cheaper domestic e‑return system. “There are also cases where ‘commercial off‑the‑shelf’ solutions prescribed by donors left agencies hamstrung,” he said on Wednesday.
Concerns over SAP training centre
Project documents reportedly earmark funds to establish a skills‑development hub for SAP enterprise software. Dr Iftekharuzzaman questioned “whose interest is served” by building a dedicated centre with borrowed money: “Technology vendors normally train staff as part of delivery. We must ask whether the revenue department is being locked into a single proprietary platform.”
He urged policymakers to base technology choice on ease of use, sustainability and existing local capacity, adding that capable Bangladeshi firms should be eligible to compete for SITA contracts. “Blindly following donors’ prescriptions is unacceptable,” he stressed.
Project scope
• Full automation of tax collection and management
• Modernisation of statistical and public expenditure systems
• Digital procurement and investment portals
• Enhanced transparency in audit functions
A substantial share of the US $250 million allocation will fund revenue and expenditure automation, officials say.
The Finance Ministry has yet to comment on TIB’s remarks, but senior NBR sources indicated the concerns would be “taken under advisement” as tender documents are finalised.
