The recent PPOA circular is interesting. Professionals will submit financials despite the AAK/BORAQ protests. Will PPOA be preparing an construction cost estimate beforehand to determine one is not charging fees below CAP 525?

A CAPTION OF THE CIRCULAR

Further, PPOA takes cognizance of the fact that professionals such as Lawyers; Architects, and Quantity surveyors have their prices governed by the Advocates Remuneration Order, and the Architects and Quantity” Surveyors Act respectively.

We note that these legal documents provide a minimum percentage of lees chargeable for services offered by the respective professionals. The aforementioned documents do not oust the requirement for competition over prices quoted above the legal minimum In that regard, all PEs intending to procure similar professions] services are required to keep abreast of such legal and regulatory documents that govern lees for professional services prior to proceeding with procurement procedures.

Since the price quoted by the Tenderers responding to the RFP will have to be considered among other issues such as technical capacity of the tenderer to deliver the services, PEs, guided by the principle of competition, fairness and legality, stipulated in the procurement law should ensure that their evaluation criteria are engendered to award tenders only to qualified professionals/firms who adhere to the regulations governing the practice of their professions.