MPs to revisit BD100,000 contract-review bill

TDT | Manama

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MPs will on Tuesday reconsider a draft law that would require all government contracts valued at more than 100,000 dinars to undergo review by the Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission, after the Shura Council voted to reject the proposal in principle.

Parliament is set to examine the Shura Council’s stance on amendments to Article 2 of Law No. 60 of 2006, which governs the reorganisation of the Commission.

Parliament’s Legislative and Legal Affairs Committee has urged MPs to uphold their earlier decision to endorse the draft in principle and to maintain the chamber’s adopted wording.

The proposal would oblige the Commission to issue legal opinions on contracts concluded by ministries, state bodies and entities covered by the Law on the Regulation of Government Tenders, Bids, Purchases and Sales. No contract worth more than 100,000 dinars could be signed without prior legal review.

According to the committee report, the draft contains two articles in addition to the preamble. The first would amend item (9) of Article 2 of Law No. 60 of 2006, extending the Commission’s mandate to include higher-value contracts with the aim of tightening oversight of public spending. The second is executive in nature, instructing the Prime Minister and ministers to implement the law the day after its publication in the Official Gazette. The committee considers the measure consistent with the Fiscal Balance Programme, which calls for administrative acts and contracts to be subject to legal scrutiny. The Council of Representatives has already agreed in principle.

The Shura Council, however, has opted not to support the proposal. In a memorandum attached to the bill, the government also requested reconsideration, arguing that the amendment departs from established legislative policy governing investment and could hinder opportunities for state-owned companies.

The government contends that expanding mandatory review would affect procurement processes and slow procedures, causing delays in activities and services—particularly for contracts requiring swift action. After reviewing the Shura Council’s position and the government’s concerns, the Legislative and Legal Affairs Committee has unanimously recommended that MPs reaffirm their earlier approval of the draft in principle.