KUWAIT CITY, Sept 26: The Central Agency for Public Tenders (CAPT) approved 85 tender awards during the first six months of this year, at a total cost of KD 577 million and 935,000, reports Al-Rai daily. According to the report issued in this regard, the first quarter settled on 51 tender awards worth KD 445 million and 38,000, and the second quarter on 34 awards worth KD 122 million and 897,000. Therefore, the volume of approvals in the first period is higher than the second in terms of quantity and cost.

The report, which was prepared by the Secretary-General of CAPT Osama Al-Duaij, indicated that the largest share was from the Ministry of Health, as the value of 11 tenders amounted to about KD 370 million. The Ministry of Electricity and Water was the recipient of most tenders, as its tender awards reached 23, with a value exceeding KD 70 million. In terms of value, the awards of the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources amounted to three, with a value of about KD 23 million.

As for the agencies that obtained the least awards in terms of number and cost, it is the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development, with the value of one award amounted to KD 104,000.

In a related context, Al-Duaij issued a circular calling to draw the attention to the general contractors classified with CAPT previously, regarding the need to urgently update their data so that their classification category is re-evaluated in accordance with the first circular of 2020 concerning the reorganization of the rules, procedures and criteria for classifying public contractors mentioned in Circular No. 4/2019 titled “Infrastructure Works”, the second “Building Works”, the third “Mechanical Works”, and the fourth “Electrical Works”. In another development, CAPT has postponed deciding on the tenders for waste management services in the areas of operations of the Kuwait Oil Company in North Kuwait, as well as a tender for the construction of a new water injection system in the south and east of Kuwait.

Extend
According to informed sources, CAPT requested to extend the initial insurance for the companies participating in the tender to replace the current high-pressure (HP) and lowpressure (LP) burners with smokeless burners in assembly centers 15, 23 and 25 (North Kuwait) with the speedy completion of procedures for raising an award recommendation tender. CAPT rejected KOC’s request for the second extension of the tender contract for Jurassic production facilities in East and West Rawdatain, West Sabriya and Umm Naga concluded with Schlumberger for a period of 608 days, starting from May 21, 2022, due to the need to complete the operation and maintenance services in accordance with the terms of the contract.

This is with the awareness that penalties will apply for the delay in completing the current phase and at no additional cost. It also rejected KOC’s request for the first extension of the contract for the exercise of Jurassic production facilities in East and West Rawdatain, West Sabriya and Umm Naga, concluded with the International Petroleum Company (Saptco) for a period of 512 days, starting from December 1, 2022, without a financial increase on the value of the contract, as a result of the need to complete the operating services and maintenance due to the delay in completing the implementation of the first and second phases in accordance with the terms of the contract and without any additional cost.

Furthermore, CAPT rejected KOC’s request for the first time extension of the contract for the exercise of Jurassic production facilities in East and West Rawdatain with Schlumberger for 719 days from October 8, 2022 due to the need to complete operation and maintenance services in accordance with the terms of the contract. The delay penalties (LDS) were applied for the delay in completing the current stage and at no additional cost.

However, CAPT agreed to KOC’s request to issue the third change order to reduce KD 106,731 from the value of the tender contract for foreign works on Jurassic production facilities in North Kuwait concluded with the Combined Group Company as of 1/5/2022, with the extension of the contract 365 days, a change order to review the individual prices as a result of the increase in prices in the market, where the estimated costs of KD 229.28 thousand will be covered from the reserve amount