MoF guides regulations on procurement amid Covid-19 pandemic

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The Ministry of Finance has issued guidance on procurement regulations amid the Covid-19 pandemic for means, equipment, chemicals, supplies and biological for Covid-19 pandemic prevention and control. Photo: Internet

Procurement complies with the bidding law

According to the Ministry of Finance, to prevent and control the Covid-19 pandemic under the "four on-the-spot motto" (i.e.: prevention, isolation, treatment on the spot; facilities, equipment, medicine, and protection on-the-spot; finance on-the-spot; human resources on-the-spot), the Ministry of Finance has asked localities to arrange local budgets and other lawful funding sources for Covid-19 pandemic prevention and control according to the plan for pandemic prevention and control of the Ministry of Health; ensuring the right purpose, saving and efficiency; avoiding financial shortage, especially finance for the purchase of biological products and medical supplies.

The Ministry of Finance has said the central budget will support localities to implement the prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic according to the provisions of the Prime Minister's Decision No. 482/QD-TTg dated March 29, 2021.

The Provincial People's Committee must report localities that have difficulties in balancing the local budget to the Ministry of Finance.

Regarding the procurement regulation for means, equipment, chemicals, supplies and biological products for prevention and control of the pandemic, the Ministry of Finance has requested chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities to decide the purchasing and take full responsibility for the purchasing under the bidding law and other laws.

On the form of contractor selection, the Ministry of Finance states during the pandemic period announced by authorities, localities can decide contractor selection under its competence for procurement bidding packages in their management to carry out prevention and control of the pandemic in urgent cases.

Regarding the bid package price in the contractor selection plan, the Ministry of Finance also must stipulate that the procurement value should be calculated correctly for all costs used to perform the bidding package, including contingency costs, fees, charges and taxes.

In addition, under Clause 2, Article 11 of Circular No. 58/2016/TT-BTC dated March 29, 2016 of the Ministry of Finance on use of State funding for making purchases for the purpose of maintaining regular operations of State agencies, units affiliated to people's armed force, public service providers, political organisations, socio-political organisations, social-political-professional organisations, social organisations, socio-professional organisations, the determination of the procurement value in the contractor selection plan shall be based on at least one of the following documents:

First, the quotation of the goods that needs to be purchased provided by at least three local suppliers to use as the basis for determining the procurement value. If it is unable to get the quotation from three local suppliers, the quotation provided by suppliers in other areas may be used to obtain at least three quotations for determining the procurement value.

Second, purchase estimate approved by the competent authority (including types of assets, goods and services, quantity and unit price or the entire funding for purchasing one type of assets/goods/services during the year);

Third, the price appraisal result provided by the competent State agency or the price appraisal enterprise if the price appraisal must be carried out as regulated by the law on prices;

Fourth, the market price at the purchasing time which is referred to orthodox information provided by suppliers as regulated by the law of Vietnam and obtained through the internet network;

Fifth, the procurement value of a similar type of goods made over the previous 30 days.

The Ministry of Finance has requested that based on the above provisions, chairpersons of the People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities must direct and decide the determination of procurement value in the contractor selection plan; are forbidden to add administrative procedures that may result in delays or bottlenecks in procurement.

At the same time, chairpersons of the People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities will direct and decide on the use of 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 of the above documents when determining procurement value in contractor selection plan.

Localities responsible for themselves

Before the development of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Finance requested the People's Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities to strictly follow instructions of the Prime Minister at the Directive No. 47/CT-TTg dated December 27, 2017 on the rectification of bidding in development investment projects and regular procurement activities funded by State capital; and inspect, supervise and direct the procurement of means, equipment, chemicals, supplies and biological products for the prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Localities must also direct full payment and avoid arrears for the purchase of means, equipment, chemicals, supplies and biological products to prevent and control the Covid-19 pandemic for contractors.

The Ministry of Finance has asked localities to also be responsible for quality, price, management, distribution and use of State fund publicly and transparently to prevent waste, negativity and loss of State budget and properties; not to make shortage of biological products, supplies and medical equipment for pandemic prevention and control in accordance with the direction, situations and scenarios for prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic of the Government, the Prime Minister, National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control and the Ministry of Health.

Saving thousand billions of VND via concentrated medicine procurement

The Ministry of Finance has also proposed local finance agencies and local State Treasuries to manage funds for procurement of means, equipment, chemicals, supplies and biological products for the pandemic prevention and control and not to add administrative procedures that may cause delays or bottlenecks in procurement.