Anti-corruption watchdog warns against no-bid contracts
The ACC recommended revision of public finance rules.
09 Dec 2019, 9:00 AM
The Anti-Corruption Commission on Sunday advised the government to reverse changes made to the public finance rules by the previous administration to allow large-scale projects to be awarded without a competitive bidding process.
The cabinet was authorised in May 2015 to award ‘mega projects’ or projects carried out with concessional loans or foreign assistance to a party chosen by the president without going through the tender evaluation board, which was previously required to approve projects worth more than MVR1.5 million (US$97,300).
The amended rules also authorised the cabinet to award public services projects to national associations, state-owned enterprises and publicly listed companies with a portion of shares held by the government.
Since coming to power in November last year, the current administration has also awarded no-bid projects, notably a US$53 million contract signed with Dutch dredging company Boskalis to reclaim land for a new commercial seaport.
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