Фото: t.me/obrazovaniepervomayskiy
The Belarusian government has updated the rules for conducting public procurement. The relevant resolution was signed on February 20 by Prime Minister Aliaksandr Turchyn.
The document amends two government resolutions dating from 2016 and 2019. The changes concern the admission of foreign goods to public procurement, single-source procurement, requirements for bidders and support measures for certain categories of enterprises.
In particular, the list of documents confirming a product’s country of origin has been expanded. An expert opinion confirming that industrial products are manufactured in Belarus has now been added. It is issued by the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry or its unitary enterprises. This rule applies to open tenders, electronic auctions and request-for-quotation procedures.
The conditions for single-source procurement have also been revised. Such a right has again been granted for the purchase of food products for educational institutions from suppliers designated by regional executive committees and the Minsk City Executive Committee. The right to use single-source procurement in the field of urban planning has been extended. In addition, it has been established for work in architecture and construction, diagnostics of motor roads, standard design within state road development programs, as well as for scientific and technical support of the Transport Ministry’s activities.
In the area of creating and modernizing state digital platforms and information systems, the requirement for the share of work that a contractor must perform independently has been reduced from 50% to 30% of the contract value. Additional requirements have also been introduced for procurement of road diagnostics services, standard design within state programs and scientific and technical support for the Transport Ministry.
For organizations where at least half of employees are people with disabilities, the list of domestically produced goods eligible for a 25% preference in bid evaluation has been expanded. The list now includes corrugated paper and cardboard, paper and cardboard packaging, paper stationery, wooden construction structures and joinery products, as well as other printed materials.
In addition, to support small and medium-sized businesses, the list of goods and services that contracting authorities must allocate as separate lots specifically for such enterprises has been expanded. It now includes hotel services, restaurant and fast-food services, diagnostic and laboratory reagents, as well as certain types of liquid pumps.