Contracts for construction work, as well as contracts for the government procurement of design services, must explicitly state that the completion date may not exceed the date specified in the contract.
The Ministry of Finance has introduced this provision into the regulatory framework for government procurement. Amendments to the ministry’s order approving standard documentation for government procurement of works have been published and have entered into force.
Specifically, amendments have been made to two annexes to the document (25 and 26), as well as to the provision stipulating that the contract performance period may not exceed the period specified in the procurement notice. For budgetary agencies, the completion date of the work must not exceed the budgetary commitments provided for by law or the budget resolution.
If the delay is not the contractor’s fault, the deadline for completing the work may be extended or suspended. Changes to the schedule are approved by the contracting parties if the reasons for the delay are attributable to the beneficiary; result from unforeseeable circumstances; or are caused by climatic factors or natural disasters.
It should be noted that, in the event that the established deadlines for the completion of work are exceeded, the contracts provide for the possibility of termination and the imposition of penalties.
