BALOCHISTAN P R O V I N C I A L ASSEM BLY SECRETARIAT

 

 

 

NOTIFICATION

 

Dated Quetta, the 5th September, 2013.

 

                    No. PAB/Legis: V (04)/ 2013-2511.     The Balochistan Public Procurement Regulatory Authority(Amendment) Bill,  2013, Bill No. IV of 2013, having  been  passed  by  the  Provincial  Assembly  of  Balochistan  on 3 0 t h A u g u s t , 2 0 1 3 and assented to by the Governor, Balochistan on 4^th September, 2013 is hereby published as an Act of the Provincial Assembly.

 

THE BALOCHISTAN  PUBLIC  PROCUREM ENT  REGULATORY

AUTHORITY

 

(AMMENDMENT ACT NO. IV OF 2013)

 

   (First published after having received the assent of the governor Balochistan in the Balochistan Gazette (Extra-ordinary) dated 05th September, 2013.

 

AN ACT

 

                    further to amend the Balochistan Procurement Regulatory

Authority Act, 2009 (Act No.VIII of 2009).

 

 

Preamble----- WHEREAS, it is expedient to amend the Balochistan Public Procurement Regulatory Authority Act, 2009 (Act No.VIII of 2009), for the purpose hereinafter appearing;

 

t o provide for the establishment  of Balochistan Public Procurement Regulatory Authority for regulating procurement of goods,  services and works in the public sector and for matters connected therewith  or ancillary  there to;

 

                              It is hereby enacted as follows:-

 

 

                                                          CHAPTER - I PRELIMINARY

 

1.           Short title, extent and commencement :-     (1) This Act may be called the Balochistan Public Procurement  Regulatory  Authority (Amendment)  Act 2013.

 

(2)  It shall come into force at once.

2.           Definitions.----In this Act, unless there is anything  repugnant  in the subject or context,-

 

 

(a)	“Authority” means the Balochistan Public Procurement Regulatory
	Authority established  under Section  3;
(b)	“Board” means the board constituted  under Section 6;
(c)	“Chairperson”  means the Chairperson of the Board;
(d)	“Chief Secretary” means the Chief Secretary of Balochistan;
(e)	“Fund” means the fund established  under Section 8;
(f)	“goods”  means  articles  and  objects  of  every  kind  and  description  including  raw materials, products, equipment, machinery, spares and commodities in any form; and includes services incidental  to installation,    transport,    maintenance    and    similar obligations related to the supply of goods if the value of these services does not exceed the value of such goods;
(g)   “Government” means the Government  of Balochistan;

 

(g-a) "Managing Director" means the Managing Director of the authority Appointed under Section 7-A of this Act;"

 

(h)           “Member” means a member of the Authority;

 

(i)            “Mis-procurement”  means  public  procurement  in  contravention  of  any  provision  of this Act,  any rules,  regulations, orders or instruction made thereunder or any other law in respect of or relating  to public   procurement;

(j)            “Prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act;

 

(k)           “Procuring  agency” means,-

 

(i)            any department,  attached department  or any office of the Government;  and 

(ii)          any authority, corporation, body or organization established by or under a Provincial   law or which is owned or controlled  by the Government;

 

(l)            “Public Fund” means the Provincial Consolidated Fund and the Public Account of the Province  and  includes  funds  of  enterprise  which  are     owned  or  controlled  by  the Provincial  Government;

 

(m)         “Public  procurement”  means  acquisition  of  goods,  services  or  construction  of  any works financed  wholly or partly out of the Public Fund, unless excluded otherwise by the Provincial Government;

 

(n)           “Regulations” means regulations  made under this Act;

 

(o)           “Rules” means rules made under this Act;

 

(p)           “Service” means any object of procurement  other than goods or works; and

 

(q)           “Works”  means   any   construction  work   consisting  of  erection,   assembly,   repair, renovation  or  demolition  of  a  building  or  structure  of  part  thereof,  such  as  site preparation,  excavation,  installation  of equipment  or  materials  and  decoration  finishing and   includes   incidental   services   such   as   drilling,   mapping,   satellite   photography, seismic  investigations  and  similar  activities,  if  the  value  of  those  services  does  not exceed that of the works themselves.

 

 

 

CHAPTER-II

ESTABLISHMENT, FUNCTION AND POWERS

 

3.                       Establishment  of  Authority.-  (1) An  authority  is  hereby  established  to  be  called  the Balochistan  Public Procurement  Regulatory  Authority  for carrying  out the purposes of this Act.

 

(2)        The authority shall be a body corporate, having perpetual succession and a common seal, with  powers  subject  to  the  provisions  of  this  Act,  to  acquire  and  hold  property,  both  movable  and immovable,  and sue and to be sued by the name assigned  to it by sub section (1).

 

(3)        The Headquarter of the authority shall be at Quetta and it may establish its offices at such other place or places in Balochistan  as it may consider appropriate.

 

4.                       Power of  the  Government to  issue  directives.-        The Provincial

Government may,  as and when  it  considers  necessary,  issue  directives  to  the  Authority  on  matters of policy,  and  such directives shall be binding  on the authority.

 

5.                       Functions  and  powers  of  the  Authority:-   (1)     Subject  to  other  provisions of this Act,  the authority  may  take  such  measures  and   exercise  such 

powers  as  may  be  necessary  for  improving governance,   management,   transparency,   accountability   and   quality  of  public  procurement  of  goods, services and works in the public sector.

 

(2)        Without  prejudice  to  the  generality  of  the  power  conferred  by  sub-section (1),  the Authority  may;

 

(a)       monitor application of the laws, rules, regulations, policies and procedures in respect of, or relating  to the public procurement;

 

(b)      monitor  the  implementation  of  and   evaluate  laws,   rules,   regulations,   policies and procedures in respect of, or relating to  inspection or quality of goods, services and works and recommend  reformulation  thereof or revision  therein  as it deems necessary;

 

(c)       recommend  to  the  Government  revisions in or formulation of new laws,  rules and  policies in respect of or related to the public procurement;

 

(d)      make regulations and lay down codes of ethics and procedures for the public    procurement, inspection  or quality  of goods, services and works;

 

(e)       monitor public procurement practices and make recommendations to improve governance, transparency,  accountability  and quality  of public procurement;

 

(f)       monitor overall performance of the procuring agencies and make recommendations for improvements  in their institutional  setup;

 

(g)      provide  and  coordinate assistance to  the procuring agencies for developing and  improving their institutional  framework  and the public procurement  activities;

 

"(g-a) develop, promote and support the capacity building of personnel of procuring agencies."

 

"(g-b) maintenance of website which may enable the procuring agencies to upload and disseminate the information of their procurement activities as prescribed;

 

(h)      submit  reports  to  the  Government  in  respect  of the  public  procurement  activities  of the procuring  agencies;

 

(i)        call any functionary of the procuring agencies to provide assistance in its functions and call for any information  from such agencies in pursuance of its objectives and functions;

(j)        exercise  in  respect  of the  authority,  such  other  management,  administrative  and  financial powers as deemed appropriate; and

 

(k)      perform any other function assigned to it by the Government, incidental or consequential to any of the aforesaid  functions.

 

(3)        If any misprocurement by any procuring agency comes into the notice of the  Authority, it may call for assistance of the Auditor General of Pakistan to  ascertain the gravity of such misprocurement, and may involve Provincial Anti-Corruption Department for investigation and fixation of criminal liability upon the employees of such procuring agency under any law for the time being in force".

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER-III

               MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION

 

6.         Board.     (1)  General  directions  and  administration  of the  Authority  and  its  affairs  shall vest  in  a  Board, which  shall exercise  all the  powers  and  perform  all such  functions,  acts and  things that may be exercised, performed  or done by the Authority.

 

(2) The Board shall consist of the following  members, namely:-

 

(1)	the Chief Secretary Balochistan
	Chairperson
(2)	the Additional Chief Secretary (Dev) Planning & Development Department             Member
(3)	two members of Provincial Assembly           Member one each from the treasury and opposition
	benches to be nominated by the Speaker
(4)	Secretary Finance	Member
(5)	Secretary, Law & Parliamentary Affairs Department	Member
(6)	Secretary, Communication & Works  Department	Member
(7)	Secretary, Industries & Commerce       Department	Member
(8)	Secretary, Irrigation & Power Department	Member
(9)	Secretary, Information Technology      Department	Member
(10)	a representative of the Auditor General of Pakistan.	Member
(11)	a nominee of the Chamber of Commerce	Member
(12)	a nominee of Pakistan Engineering Council Member
(13)	a renowned Professional from Management Member and Finance sector by the Government
(14)	two members from Civil Society nominated Member by the Government
(15)	Managing Director                                          Member

 

 

                    "(3)    The  Managing Director shall also act as the

Secretary of the Board".

 

(4)          An  official member  may  nominate  his  representative  not  below  the  rank  of an  Additional Secretary or an officer  of equivalent  grade to attend meeting  of the Board on his behalf.

 

(5)          The member appointed  from the private sector shall hold office for such a period and shall be entitled  to such terms and conditions  as the Authority  may determine.

 

  "(6)  A member from the private sector may be writing in his hand addressed to the Chairman, resign from his office".

 

  (7)  A causal vacancy of a private sector member shall be filled by  appointment of another member from the private sector, for the remaining term of  his predecessor".

 

 

7.         Meeting of the Board.- (1) The meeting of the Board shall be presided over by the Chairperson of the Board.

 

(2)          Ten  members  shall constitute  a  quorum for  a  meeting  requiring  a  decision  by  the Board including  the chairperson.

 

(3)          The  meeting  of  the  Board  shall  be  held  at  such  times,  places  and  in  such   manner  as  may  be prescribed by the Authority.

 

(4)          The members shall have reasonable notice of the time and place of the meeting and matters on which a decision by the Board shall be taken in such meeting.

 

(5)          The decision of the Board shall be taken by the majority of its member present and in case of a tie, the member presiding  a meeting  shall have a casting vote.

 

(6)          All  orders,  determination  and  decision  of  the  Board  shall  be  taken  in  writing  and  circulated  by Member/Secretary.

 

"7A.    Managing Director-(1)  The Government shall select and appoint a full-time Managing Director as Chief Executive Officer of the Authority for such period and on such terms and conditions as the Government may determine.

 

(2)  The Managing Director shall be appointed for three years and he will be eligible for re-appointment but his total tenure shall in no case exceed six years.

 

(3)  No person shall be appointed or continue as Managing Director,

if he:-

 

(a)          has been convicted of an offence involving moral turpitude;

 

(b)          has been removed from service for misconduct;

 

(c)          has been adjudicated as insolvent;

 

(d)          is incapable of discharging his duties by reasons of physical or mental incapacity and has been so declared by Medical Board appointed by the Government, or

 

(e)          falls to disclose any conflict of interest at or within the time provided for such disclosure by or under this Act or contravene any of the provisions of this Act.

 

(f)           the Managing Director may, at any time, resign from his office by writing under his hand addressed to the Government.

 

(g)          the Managing Director shall be paid such salary and allowances as the Provincial Government may determine but his salary and allowances shall not be varied to his disadvantages during his term of office.

 

(h)         the Managing Director shall not, during the term of his office, engage himself to any other service, business, vocation or employment nor shall he before the expiry of one year thereof enter into employment or accept any advisory or consult relationship with any person engaged in public procurement activity. 

 

 Provided that where the Managing Director is a Government servant there shall be no such restrictions on his employment after he has retired or transferred from the post of Managing Director;

 

 Provided further that where he is from private sector he shall not have any direct or indirect financial interest or have any connection with any company engaged in public procurement activity for so long as he holds office and for a period of one year thereafter;

 

7B.     Powers and Responsibilities of Managing Director:-

“The Managing Director shall have powers and responsibilities to:-

 

(a)           exercise administrative control over the personnel of the         Authority.

(b)          exercise, in respect of the Authority such other management, administrative  and financial powers as deemed appropriate by the authority;

(c)           submit the annual budget proposals of the Authority to the      Board;

(d)          prepare the annual report of the Authority for the Board and the Government;

(e)           exercise such powers as the Board may delegate to him; and act on behalf  of the Authority, in any emergency, subject to obligation to report such action to the Board at its next meeting and to seek the Board’s ratification of any action so taken;

(f)            exercise and perform all such powers and functions as  prescribed in Rules  and  Regulations.”

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER-IV

FINANCIAL PROVISIONS

 

 

8.                            Fund.-      (1) A  fund  shall  be  established  to  be  known  as  the 

Balochistan  Public  Procurement Regulatory Authority Fund  which shall vest in the Authority and  shall be utilized  by the Authority to meet the charges in connection  with its functions  under this Act.

 

(2)        To   the   credit   of  the   Balochistan   Public   Procurement  Authority,   a  fund   shall  be placed comprising;

(a)        such sums as the Government  may, from time to time, allocate to it in the annual budget;

(b)        grants;

(c)        income from investment  by the Authority;  and

(d)        all other sums or properties, that may in any manner become payable to or vest in the Authority in respect of any matter.

 

(3)        The  Authority,  while  performing  its  functions  and  exercising  its  powers  under  the  Act,  shall exercise highest  level of prudence as far as expenditures  are concerned.

 

 

9.                            Expenditure  to be charged on the Fund.  (1) The Fund shall be expended

for the purpose of;

 

(a)     paying  any  expenditure  lawfully  incurred  by  the  Authority,  relating  to  remuneration  of  its members,  employees,  adviser,  and  consultants  of the  Authority,  legal fees and  costs as well as other fees and costs;

 

(b)     paying any other expenses, costs or expenditure properly incurred or accepted by the Authority in the performance  of its functions  or the exercise of its powers under this Act;

(c)     purchasing  or  hiring  equipment,   machinery  and   any  other  work   and  undertakings  in  the performance  of its functions  or the exercise of its powers under this Act;

 

(d)     repaying  any financial  accommodation  received; and

 

(e)     generally,  paying any expenses for carrying  into effect the provisions  of this Act;

 

10.                         Power to obtain finances and receive grants.-     The Authority may, from time to time and with the  approval  of  the  Government,  accept  grants  from  entities  both  domestic,  national  and  international, including  multilateral agencies for meeting  any of its obligations  or performing  of any of its functions.

 

11.                         Investment.-   The Authority may invest its surplus funds in accordance with the instructions of the Government.

 

12.                         Budget and accounts.-    The Authority shall cause its accounts to  be maintained properly and in respect of each financial year submit for approval of the Government by such date and in such form as may be  specified  by  the  Government  a  statement  showing  the  estimated  receipts,  current  expenditure and  the sums to be required  from the Government  during the next financial year.

 

13.                         Maintenance of accounts.-    The Authority shall cause proper accounts to be kept and shall after the end  of each financial year cause to  be prepared  for that financial year a statement of accounts of the Authority,  which shall include  an account of receipt and expenditure.

 

14.                         Audit.-   The accounts of the  Authority shall be audited  every year by the

"Auditor General of Pakistan."

 

 

 

CHAPTER-V

                    REGULATORY AND OTHER PROVISIONS

 

 

15.        Information.  (1)  The  Authority  may  call for  any  information  required  by  it  for  carrying  out the purposes of this Act,  from any person or any institution in the public procurement activities and  any such person or institution  shall provide the required information  called by the Authority.

 

(2)  The  Authority  shall  furnish  to  the  Government  such  information  with  respect  to  policies  and procedures it is pursuing or proposes to pursue in the performance of any of its functions under this Act as the Government  may require from time to time.

 

16.        Annual report. Within one hundred and twenty (120) days from the end of each financial year, the Authority shall cause a report to  be prepared on its activities including inquiries and investigations made by the Authority under this Act,  during that financial year, and release to the public, after it has been seen by the Cabinet.

 

 

 

CHAPTER-

VI

MISCELLAN

EOUS

 

17.        Appointment of officers and staff, etc.-   (1) The Authority may, from time to time and within its resources,  appoint  such  officers,  servant,  advisors,  consultants and  experts on contract basis for a period not exceeding  two years as it may consider necessary for performance  of its functions

 

(2)The  Authority  shall,  by  regulations,  prescribe  the  procedure  for  appointment  of  its  officers, servants, advisers,  consultant  and experts and the terms and conditions  of their service.

 

18.        Members, officers, etc. to be public servants.-        The Chairperson, members, officers, servants, advisor, consultants and experts of the Authority shall, when acting or purporting to act in pursuance of any of the provisions of this Act or the rules and regulations made there under, be deemed to be public servants within  the meaning  of Section 21 of the Pakistan Penal Code (Act XLV of 1860).

 

19.        Delegation of Powers.- The Authority may, by such conditions and limitations as it may deem fit, delegate any of its functions or powers to M a n a g i n g D i r e ct o r excluding  the power to,-

 

(a)        approve audited accounts;

(b)        recommend  exemption  under Section 20; and

(c)        make or repeal regulation  made under this Act.

 

20.        Power to exempt.-     The Authority may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, recommend to the Government that the procurement of an object or class of objects in the national interest be exempted from the operation of this Act or any rule or regulation made thereunder or any other law regulating the public procurement  and  the  Government  on  such  recommendation may exempt the aforesaid  obje cts or class of objects from the operation of the laws and rules and regulations  made thereunder.

 

21.        Validity of Proceedings. No act or proceedings of the Authority or the Board, shall be invalid by reason only of the existence  of a vacancy in or defect in the constitution  of the Authority  / Board.

 

22.        Indemnity.  No  suit,  prosecution,  or  other  legal  proceedings  shall  lie  against  the  Authority,  the Board,  the  Chairperson    or  any  member,  officer,  servants,  advisors  or  consultants  of  the  Authority  in respect of anything done or intended  to  be done in good faith  under this Act or the rules and regulations made thereunder

 

23.        Common seal.- (1)     The Authority shall have a common seal and such seal shall be kept by the Member/Secretary  or such other person as the Chairperson  may authorize.

 

(2)        The seal shall be authenticated in the same manner as may be prescribed by regulation and any document purported  to  be sealed with the seal so authenticated, shall be receivable as evidence of the particular  stated in the document.

 

24.        Winding up.- No provision of law relating to winding up of the bodies corporate shall apply to the Authority and  the Authority shall not be wound  up except by the orders of the Government in the manner as the Government  may direct.

 

25.        Appeal.   (1)  Any party aggrieved  by any order made by a procuring agency or the Authority in respect  of procurement  of any  goods  may,  within  thirty  days  of making  such order as public,  prefer an appeal to  the Chief Secretary who  shall constitute a committee having no member of the Board, to inquire in the matter to submit  its findings  and recommendation  within  fifteen  days.

 

(2)          On  receipt  of  the  findings  and   recommendations  made  by  the  committee  the,  Chief Secretary may pass such orders as appear to him to be just and equitable  which shall be final and binding. 

 

(3)          The Authority  may make regulations  for disposal of appeals.

25-A.                  Overriding effect, the provisions of this Act shall have overriding effect notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any other Law for the time being in force".

 

 

25-B.                  Indemnity. No suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings shall lie against any member or officer of the Authority or and other person for anything done in good faith in the performance of his duties or functions or exercise of powers under this Act".

 

 

26.        Removal  of  difficulties.-  If any  difficulty  arises  in  giving  effect  to  any of the provisions of this Act,  the Government may make such order, not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, as may appear to it to be just and necessary for the purpose of removing  the difficulty.

 

27.        Power of  the  Government  to  make  rules.  The Government may,  by notification in the official  Gazette, make rules for carrying  out the purposes of this Act.

 

28.        Power  of   the   Authority   to   make   regulations.   The  Authority  may  make  regulations,   not inconsistent  with  the  provisions  of this  Act  and  the  rules  made  there  under,  for  carrying  out the purposes of this Act.

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                          Secretary

                                                                                  Balochistan  Provincial Assembly