Bid to reintroduce lottery in tender bidding rejected
Staff Correspondent
Finance and Planning Minister M Saifur Rahman yesterday shot down a proposal by some ministries, including the communications ministry, for reintroduction of the options of lottery and negotiations in tender bidding in the proposed amendment to the Public Procurement Regulations.The rejection came at a high-level meeting on bringing changes to the regulations in a bid to expedite implementation of different projects. Meeting sources said the finance minister cited corruption in the lottery and negotiations system in the past that led to sub-standard work as the reason for the rejection. The meeting, however, decided in principle that the timelimit in cases of multiple dropping of tenders could be relaxed. It also decided on some other amendments pending the prime minister's approval and |he donors' consent. "Ministers were having trouble accelerating implementation of [the projects in compliance with the regulations]. We have decided to change some 10 to12 points of the regulations," Saifur told reporters after the meeting. The Public Procurement Regulations were put into force in June last year, but following complaints from various ministries the planning ministry asked them to let it know about the problems facing them. It also asked for their recommendations for changes to the regulations. Eight ministries including the communications, LGRD and telecommunication put forward their suggestions. Yesterday's meeting took a look at the suggestions and accepted a few including stretching the limit for bidding out works in the restricted tendering system. Government offices can now give work orders worth Tk 10 lakh instead of Tk 5 lakh only among listed contractors in cases of procuring goods and in cases of public works the listed contractors would now get orders worth Tk 25 lakh instead of Tk 10 lakh. Under current system of multiple dropping, three hours are the maximum time limit for opening up tender boxes. But it was decided yesterday that from now on if within a district the tender boxes could be opened in a day and the time limit would otherwise be two days. Meeting sources said the planning ministry officials told the minister that if the changes are brought to multiple dropping system, the donors might oppose it. But Saifur assured them of dealing the issue with the donors. Abolishing an earlier restriction, the meeting however reintroduced the provision that government offices can procure goods from public commercial enterprises without open bidding.
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