The National Highway Authority (NHA) Executive Board approved amendments in the prequalification procedure for awarding infrastructure projects by changing the technical expertise and financial capability ratios.
The 400th meeting of the Executive Board of NHA was held under the chairmanship of Captain (retd) Muhammad Khurram Agha on Thursday.
The Authority Spaceperson said that the Board, as per the vision of the Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif approved a number of measures pertaining to the procurement process to award contracts to technically sound construction companies. These measures are aimed to ensure the proper eligibility of contractors for the construction, extension and repair of motorways and National Highways.
NHA will pre-qualify the contractors based on projects and work in light of Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules and regulations. Moreover, changes have also been made in technical expertise and financial capability during pre-qualification.
As per the existing prequalification procedure, the ratio of technical expertise and financial capability was determined as 70 percent and 30 percent respectively. While under the new arrangement, this ratio will be determined as 80 percent and 20 percent respectively.
The contractors are now required to provide bank guarantees instead of insurance guarantees. Further, physical inspection of machinery, equipment and technical staff availability will be conducted during the pre-qualification process. These measures will help to implement construction activities of the projects more effectively.
In addition to that, a third-party ground validation of works will also be ensured. The Board unanimously supported these measures in order to eradicate delays and ensure timely completion and quality construction of the motorway and national highway projects in the country. All these steps will be implemented immediately as per the decision of the Executive Board.
The meeting was attended by Inspector General National Highways and Motorways Police Khalid Mahmood, Chief NTRC Hameed Akhtar, Additional Secretary Finance Division and Planning Division, Vice President NESPAK and senior officers of the Ministry of Communications and National Highway Authority.
Source: Pro Pakistan