Politicians won’t be allowed in bid committees anymore

Male’, Maldives – Procurement Policy Board of Finance ministry has announced that any political appointees or elected officials cannot sit in any government institutions bid committees.

Previously the bit committee members were appointed by ministers, which lead to most of the committees being chaired by politically appointed or elected members as the procurement policy did not mention that politicians cannot sit on the committees. But with today’s announcement, no politically appointed or elected person would be allowed to sit in the bid committees of any government institution.

“In regard to section 10.13 of the Financial Guideline, Procurement Policy Board has decided that political appointees or elected officials cannot sit in bit committees of government institutions from now onward” the tweet by the ministry said.

Government institutions had always gotten criticism over the political influence on the bit committees as politicians were sitting in these committees. Minister of Finance Ameer who is also the chairperson of the Procurement Policy Board had previously told that the ministry would be bringing changes to the Financial Guideline. Recently the government had also introduced a new position of ‘Chief Financial Executive” for government institutions with the responsibility of managing the financial activities of the institutions.

The procurement policy change comes after the ventilator scandal of the Health Ministry where 11 people including the minister were accused of foul play in procuring ventilators to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.