Arguing that the reforms to the Contracting Law constitute a step backwards in terms of transparency, the Guatemalan business sector is asking President Alejandro Giammattei to veto what was approved by the Congress of the Republic.
In the last days of April 2021 the Guatemalan deputies approved the modifications to Decree 57-92, which among other things allow for the expansion of the amounts of direct and low value purchases.
A new law initiative pretends to forbid the participation of companies that have been convicted in other countries for crimes against the public administration in contracts with the State.
The bill that was presented on January 23, requests the modification of texts in the legal framework that regulate Panamanian public procurement, to avoid awarding contracts to companies that are accused of acts of corruption in Panama and also abroad.
President Varela signaled the need to include medicine purchases in the law, among other objections, and did not make mention of the debarment of companies with foreign convictions for corruption.
The main objection put forward by various social groups to the new law on state procurement is that it does not establish the exclusion of businesses convicted abroad for corruption from being state providers, andthese groups have asked President Varela to veto the law for that reason .The president vetoed 8 articles of the law, but did not say anything in his observations about that particular topic.
With the approval of the latest amendments to the Law on Public Procurement acquisitions are limited to open contracts and the involvement of public officials and suppliers is prohibited.
Officials and their families are not able to sell goods or services to the state while they are performing their duties, nor may they act as suppliers who have financed election campaigns with annual amounts exceeding $3,800 nor political organizations in the electoral process immediately prior to the administration that is in force.
After two failed attempts, the National Electric Power Company (Empresa Nacional De Energía Eléctrica) will launch a tender to repair cracks in the El Cajon hydroelectric station.
This new competition will be international because there aren't any companies in the country with sufficient experience to perform the repair work with responsibility, as required by law.