Councilor wants specific duration of all contracts
All contracts and memorandum of agreements involving infrastructure projects entered into by the Cebu City government must include specific dates from start to end.
This is the measure proposed by Councilor Nestor Archival, now pending before the committee on laws, ordinances, and styling as well as committee on infrastructure for review.
Archival said the city has been allocating budgets for infrastructure projects every year.
“It is imperative that contracts or memorandum of agreement involving infrastructure projects that the City enters into with private contractors should contain the planned start and end dates, and duration of projects in the spirit of transparency and accountability to the public,” read the proposed ordinance.
The proposed measure primarily aims to promote transparency, speedy and timely completion of government projects.
It mandates all concerned public officers, employees, or individuals and project contractors to specifically write, include, and disclose the planned start date, planned end date, and planned duration of the project or undertaking to the contract or memorandum of agreement.
Once approved, public officers, employees and individuals who shall be found guilty of violating the provisions of the ordinance shall be penalized with a fine equivalent to three months' salary of the concerned individual, employee, or officer for first offense; a fine equivalent to six months' salary of the concerned individual or officer for second offense; and suspension from service for not more than one year without pay for third offense and succeeding offenses.
It further provides that any violation committed by the project contractor shall subject the latter to the following penalties: suspension of six months from participating in any bidding undertaken by the city government for first offense; suspension of one year from participating in any bidding undertaken by the city government for second offense; and suspension of two years from participating in any bidding undertaken by the city government for third offense and succeeding offenses.
“Should the contract or memorandum of agreement fails to provide the required planned start and end dates and duration of the project, the same shall be unenforceable except however, when the Sangguniang Panlungsod ratifies such contract or memorandum of agreement after proper amendments thereof has been made by the concerned parties,” the propose ordinance further stated.