Political appointees can no longer serve on bid committees

The Procurement police board has amended policies whereby political appointees in state institutions cannot serve on bid committees of those institutions. 

The move comes after a scandal involving senior Health Ministry officials regarding the procurement of ventilators to the Maldives came to light last August. 

Finance Ministry said that the decision by the board whereby the regulations currently state that every state institution such as a ministry is required to have a bid committee, no political appointees can be appointed to the committee.

The regulation now states that technically capable and experienced figures must be appointed to these committees from now on. Officials in procurement units or those officials with procurement responsibilities also cannot serve on the bid committees.