The House of Representatives has unanimously approved a proposal to consider the Public Procurement (Second Amendment) Bill, 2083, during its second meeting. The bill aims to make the public procurement system of the country more transparent, organized, and systematic.
On behalf of Prime Minister Balendra Shah, the Minister for Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs, Sobita Gautam, presented the proposal in the parliament. The bill seeks to reform the existing procurement processes to ensure timely completion of development projects.
Addressing Project Delays and Under-Bidding
Responding to queries raised during the parliamentary discussion, Minister Gautam explained that the bill was introduced with the target of delivering quick results to the public. She added that the new provisions would discourage contractors from delaying project completion. The minister noted that the bill would help execute projects only after thorough prior preparation, addressing the current issues where extremely low bidding leads to compromised construction quality and delayed deadlines.
According to the minister, the bill also includes provisions to penalize agencies or administrative levels that fail to provide necessary construction materials, withhold cooperation, or fail to coordinate during project implementation. She stated that if a contractor misuses the advance mobilization money for other purposes, they will face criminal prosecution.
Parliamentarians Support Bid Evaluation Reforms
Lawmakers including Ashish Gajurel, Yubaraj Dulal, Balawati Sharma, Bishwaraj Pokharel, Chandramohan Yadav, and Parasmani Gelal participated in the parliamentary discussion. During the session, the lawmakers praised a specific proposal in the bill that excludes bidders from evaluation if their bid is more than 30 percent below the approved cost estimate.
The participating lawmakers suggested maintaining an average scoring system for bids and promoting the use of domestic Nepali construction materials. They also emphasized the need to completely end the practice where contractors accept contracts but abandon the work midway. Additionally, some lawmakers expressed their disagreement regarding the practice of issuing ordinances by bypassing the parliament.