The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the World Bank are currently working with the Myanmar government to draft the Open Tender Bill.
Once passed, this bill will serve as the legal framework for inviting government procurement tenders and awarding construction contracts, according to Daw Le Le Thein, deputy union minister for the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development.
The bill will be based on the current tender evaluation criteria, which includes the level of expertise, financial soundness of the company, and budget quote from the bidders, he continued.
Tender invitations are currently regulated and organised under the April 5, 2013 ordinance issued by President U Thein Sein.
The ordinance provides guidelines for forming committees for tender invitation, floor price calculation, tender evaluation, and quality evaluation.
The bill is meant to address the varying tender regulations and processes by standardise the formal process for all ministries, state and regional governments, and businesses, according to the deputy minister.
In January, the Ministry of Construction has taken the lead on streamlining the tender process by publishing and distributing a handbook to all state and regional governments that instructs ministry officials and employees on how to award contracts for projects.
