DOHA: One or several committees are to be set up by the government to float tenders to award state contracts or conduct auctions or sign direct agreements with concerned parties to carry out state contracts.
In other words, a committee each “can be” set up to supervise tenders and to conduct auctions.
The committee or committees will, however, no jurisdiction over contracts concerning defence departments or public security agencies like the police.
Importantly, the government audit authority (State Audit Bureau) must be represented on the above-cited committee or committees, says a draft law.
The State Cabinet, at its routine weekly meeting yesterday, referred the draft law (after incorporating the changes recommended by the Advisory Council) for final approval by the higher-ups yesterday.
Qatar News Agency (QNA) reports that the above-cited committee or committees should have no less than five and no more than seven members, and all of them must be government employees.
The committee/committees would also have chairman and his deputy each and they must also have as observer a member from the department for which a tender is being floated to award a contract or a contract is being awarded directly or an auction is being held. The draft law, once in force, will apply to all the ministries, and other government bodies and agencies, including the authorities and institutions, QNA said. The draft law will not apply to Qatar Petroleum as well, and to entities the Cabinet excludes based on the recommendations of the Ministry of Finance.
Similarly, based on a proposal from the finance ministry an entity which is being funded by the state can be included by the Cabinet for the purpose of applying this law.
The draft contains provisions relating to ways of contracting, submitting and evaluating bids and insurance, concluding and executing contracts and tenders.
The Cabinet also endorsed a draft decision (its own—that is, of the Cabinet) to issue executive regulations or bye-laws for the above-cited draft law.
The regulations basically talk of procedures for bidding, the powers of the tenders and auctions committees, opening envelopes and payment of insurance premiums, among others, and deciding on bids, framework contracts, two-stage tendering, restricted tendering, qualifying companies, practice, competition, direct agreement, contract signing and execution, sale of items, renting of real estate and movables, classification of contractors and evaluating their performance, among other things.
The Peninsula
