More Than $8b Of Govt Tenders Up For Grabs

Source : The Straits Times, Apr 15, 2008

THE Government will tender out more than $8 billion worth of projects over the next 12 months - more than double last year's budget and the largest amount in recent years.

The lion's share - about $5.8 billion - will be used for building and construction works, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said yesterday. The rest will be earmarked for buying goods and services and information technology.

This is the most the Government has spent since it started releasing its yearly pre-procurement plans in 2003. These plans, which outline upcoming tenders worth $200,000 and above between April each year and the following March, aim to give potential suppliers early information, so they can make preparations for the tenders.

The $5.8 billion allocated for building and construction already excludes projects put off to ease pressure on resources in the hectic building industry. In total, the deferred projects amount to $3 billion.

Major building works over the next year include those on the Gardens at the Bay in Marina Bay, runway works at Seletar Airport, the Prisons headquarters and several flat-construction programmes.

The Defence Science and Technology Agency is also planning construction at the Pasir Ris Camp, Mandai Camp 2 and Sungei Gedong Camp.

To improve traffic, there will also be large-scale road works implemented, including a new road network at the Jurong Regional Centre.

The Seletar Expressway will be widened from Woodlands Avenue 2 to Upper Thomson Road. The Central Expressway (CTE) will also be widened between its junction with the Pan Island Expressway and Yio Chu Kang Road, and a new major road will link the CTE with Yishun Avenue 7. The Tampines Expressway will get a new interchange and a road connection to Seletar Aerospace Park.

Meanwhile, another $1.2 billion will go towards procuring goods and services, such as equipment and utilities.

Of this, $90 million has been set aside for electricity for the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, Land Transport Authority, and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.

The police force will also spend more than $10 million leasing 2000cc Volvo saloon cars for a three-year period.

Tenders for information technology projects are also expected to be worth at least another $1 billion, the MOF said.

Details on these projects will be announced next month during the Infocomm Development Authority's annual industry briefing.

Some major tenders in this sector will include those for the new ultra-fast broadband network likely to be kicked off this month. More than $30 million will also be spent on a new human resource system for the civil service.

The list of tenders is on the Government e-Business website at www.gebiz.gov.sg.