Lawmakers seek tighter oversight on government contracts

TDT | Manama
Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

A proposal to widen the Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission’s oversight on government contracts exceeding BD100,000 will be debated in Parliament on Tuesday. The draft law seeks to lower the current BD300,000 threshold, increasing oversight beyond what is seen in neighbouring countries.

The commission has warned that it would need additional staff and funding to handle the expected increase in contract reviews, placing more agreements under legal scrutiny.

Government officials have expressed concerns that the move could slow procurement, increase paperwork, and strain the commission, which already reviews around 450 contracts annually. They argue that tightening scrutiny could hinder state-owned companies from making swift business decisions, lengthen approval times, and complicate transactions.

The commission has also highlighted that the BD300,000 cap, introduced in 2010, aimed to reduce red tape and reflect rising costs. Lowering the threshold, they argue, could undo these efforts and create additional challenges.

The Financial and Economic Affairs Committee has raised further concerns, suggesting that tougher legal checks could push up procurement costs by deterring suppliers from working with government agencies.

Despite these reservations, the Legislative and Legal Affairs Committee has backed the proposal in principle, paving the way for a more detailed review of its finer points.

If approved, the law would extend legal scrutiny to more public spending while adding another layer of oversight to existing procedures.