The Ministry of Finance and Treasury (MOFT) would like to remind vendors/suppliers/contractors that unauthorized procurements or commitments for the delivery of goods and services to Solomon Islands Government are a serious violation of the Public Financial Management (Procurement) Regulations 2021, (PPR 2021) and the SIG Procurement and Contract Administration Manual 2022 (SIGPCAM 2022).
MOFT, through the Treasury Procurement Unit (TPU) and the Central Tender Board (CTB) has noted with great concern the increase in the number of procurements, bid waivers and contract variations awarded by ministries without obtaining approvals as required in the PPR 2021 and SIGPCAM 2022.
In this regard, MOFT would like to reiterate to ministries and procurement stakeholders that before any supplier/vendor/contractor is engaged to deliver goods, works or services to Government, they must ensure that:
All goods, works and services delivered to ministries with values below SBD$100,000 must be approved by the Accountable Officer/Permanent Secretary;
All goods, works and services delivered to ministries with values >SBD100,000<SBD$500,000 must first be approved by the Ministerial Tender Board and supported with a standard SIG contract countersigned by the Accountable Officer/Permanent Secretary from the procuring ministry and the Accountant General – MOFT before delivery;
All goods, works and services delivered to ministries with values >SBD500,000 must be approved by both the Ministerial Tender Board and the Central Tender Board and supported with a standard SIG contract countersigned by the Accountable Officer/Permanent Secretary from the procuring ministry and the Permanent Secretary for MOFT before delivery; and
All variations to awarded contracts must first be approved by appropriate authority who awarded the original contract and countersigned by relevant MOFT authorities i.e. Accountable Officer of the ministry concerned and either Accountant-General (>SBD100,000<SBD500,000) or Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury (>SBD500,000).
Bid waivers must be approved by CTB. However, CTB has delegated approval of bid waivers >SBD10,000<SBD$100,000 to the Accountant General. Accountable Officer/Permanent Secretary must first endorse such bid waivers using the approved Standard Bid Waiver form for TPU review.
Bid waivers – >$100,000 must first be authorised by Accountable Officer/Permanent Secretary using the approved Standard Bid Waiver Form for MTB endorsement before submission to TPU for review and approval by CTB.
It is the responsibility of SIG Accountable Officers/Permanent Secretaries to make sure that no procurement from or commitment to vendor/supplier/contractors regardless of the urgency, are made without obtaining approvals from authorities as stipulated in the SIG Procurement Guidelines.
Accounting Officers/Financial Controllers are mere Members of MTB and do not have authority to award contracts or approve contract variations on behalf of the ministry.
The Public is advised to ensure that no goods, works and services are delivered to government ministries before obtaining due approvals as stipulated above.
In this regard, suppliers/vendors/contractors are reminded not to provide any goods, works and services to ministries and government departments without a signed contract or addendum by authorised SIG Authority(s) as outlined above. Approved authorities to sign contracts on behalf of SIG are:
The Accountable Officer (Permanent Secretary) and the Accountant General for procurement >SBD10,000<SBD$500,000; and
The Accountable Officer (Permanent Secretary) and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Treasury for procurements >SBD500,0001.
MOFT will not process nor be obliged to make any payment for goods, works and services procured that has not complied with SIG Procurement Guidelines. Public officials that engage contractors outside SIG Procurement Guidelines, will be in breach of the Public Financial Management Act 2013 and its subsidiary regulations and instructions and charged for relevant offences under the law
