Maputo, Mozambique, 23 Aug – Legislation concerning public tenders, the supply of goods and the provision of services to the Mozambican state has been amended with the entrance into force of Decree 15/2010 of 24 May, reports the Maputo-based state newspaper Noticias.

The decree introduces the possibilities of revising prices after contracts are awarded and lowering the provisional guarantee amounts from 2.5 percent to 1.5 percent of the contract value, besides encouraging the participation of national bidders in public tenders.

The Council of Ministers argued that the approval of Decree 15/2010 was justified due to the need to speed up and make more flexible acquisition procedures involving the state as well as local governments, as the previous system was not adjusted to current market needs.

The new decree aims to encourage more participation by national bidders in contracts within a certain value limit, establishing the obligation to assign preferential margins and reduce the percentage required for the inclusion of national factors.

It restricts the confidentiality rule regarding bids and now enables the possibility of consultation so that bidders can submit respective complaints.

Decree 15/2010 was approved on 20 April and published on 24 May, and took force 90 days after its publication. (macauhub)