MND tightens procurement controls after Brompton case

The CEO or deputy CEO of agencies under the Ministry of National Development must now personally approve a purchase if a call for quotations results only in one bid, said its minister Khaw Boon Wan.

Mr Khaw said MND has tightened its procurement controls to enhance oversight, after MPs asked about the National Parks Board's purchase of 26 Brompton foldable bicycles for $2,200 each.

The move comes on top of a public service-wide change last month to lengthen the minimum opening periods of calls for quotations, from four to seven working days.

In the case of the Brompton bicycles, Mr Khaw reiterated his stand that NParks could have got a better deal for the foldable bicycles if it had made a new call for quotations. But he also said he was convinced of the need for the pricey bicycles for NParks officers to manage rough terrain.