A Presidential decree of August 5, 2013 has increased the ceilings of contracts the various committees in the chain can award and supervise.

Now, the central committees deal with contracts from 100 million to CFAF 5 billion-roads go up 5 billion francs CFA, 1 billion francs CFA for other infrastructural contracts, 500 million francs CFA for public buildings and other equipment, CFAF 250 million for general supplies, and CFAF 100 million for services and intellectual works.

It is a significant change from the March 8, 2012 decree under which, the central committees could only handle contracts of CFAF 500 million for roads, CFAF 500 million for infrastructure, CFA 200 million for buildings and collective logistics, CFAF 100 million for general supplies and CFAF 50 million for intellectual consultancy.

As for ministerial committees that treated only contracts between CFAF 5 million and 50 million, the committees can now handle contracts between CFAF 5 million and CFAF 5 billion for roads and other infrastructural contracts between CFAF 5 million and 1 billion. Also, they can handle contracts of public buildings and other equipment ranging from CFAF 5 million but not more than 500 million. Moreover, they have the competence on general supplies amounting to CFAF 5 million but below CFAF 250 million but as for services and intellectual consultancy their ceiling is CFAF 100 million.

At the regional level, committees here award contracts from CFAF 50 million and below FCFA 1 billion for roads, other infrastructural projects to the tune of CFAF 50 million but less than CFAF 500 million and between CFAF 50 million and 250 million for public buildings and equipment contracts. These committees also handle general supplies contracts ranging from CFAF 50 million but below CFAF 100 million as well as services and consultancy works between 15 million and CFAF 50 million.

Meanwhile, the Minister in charge of Public Contracts handles contracts of road projects equal to or more than CFAF 5 billion for roads and CFAF 1 billion for other infrastructural contracts, among others.

And the minister of Public Contracts, according to the decree has a seven-day deadline to authorize the signing of contracts under his competence. More so, the Minister can award contracts without tenders (emergency purposes) but must compile with the principles of such a contract.

For ministers or vote holders who want to award contracts within their scope without launching tenders, the decree obliges them get authorization from the Minister of Public Contracts.