The following consolidated instructions are hereby issued for compliance with immediate effect by all officials and the entire procurement system in SEEPZ, SEZ.

As per O.M No. 10/3/2012-PPC dated 09.01.2014 from Department of expenditure, Procurement Policy Division, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, for implementation of comprehensive end-to-end e-procurement henceforth all tenders above Rs. 2,00,000/- (Rupees Two Lakhs) shall be compulsorily processed by e-procurement following the Rule 159 and Rule 160 of GFR 2017.

Hence, E-procurement will be done through GeM and GeP-NIC platform for all tenders/auctions of above Rs. 2,00,000/- (Rupees Two Lakhs) in SEEPZ, SEZ.

After several reiterations for the Procurement modalities on the CPPP and for GeM the following are elucidated for all officials for compliance.

• Tender on the CPPP can be opened for Technical Scrutiny by any two digital signatures of officials notified for tender opening, subject to the officials owning the digital signature being present at the time of Tender opening.
• Tender publication can be done with the digital signature of all officials who have been assigned the role of tender publisher, with any one such digital signature being used for the publication.
• The financial opening for any tender shall be mandatorily by any two officials whose digital signatures are enrolled on the CPPP platform as “Tender Opener” however the following standard protocol shall be complied with for opening for the technical envelope opening & subsequently the financial envelope.

Step 1 : The tender technical envelope shall be opened first.

Step 2 : The Tender Scrutiny Committee shall follow up on the technical documentation scrutiny with the compliance report (YES/NO) and submit the same to the Technical/Financial Evaluation Committee for a QCBS methodology or any such methodology that has a weighted/numerical evaluation of the technical documents in the technical envelope; as marks can only be awarded by the Technical/Financial Evaluation Committee.

Step 3 : In case of a clear two envelope tenders with distinct Technical/Financial envelope where the Technical documentation is only of compliance nature and not being evaluated numerically with a cut off technical mark for pre qualification for financial bid, in such technically suitable tenders, the financial envelope can be opened after uploading the technical envelope assessment after decision of the technical Evaluation Committee against the bidder showing the qualified/ disqualified bidders with a compliance sheet of YES/No/submitted/not submitted against the technical criteria for the bidding. Physical presence of only two of the officials as stated at point (1) above is mandated for the financial bid opening and physical presence of all the members of the Technical /Financial Evaluation Committee is not mandatory.

Step 4 : In case there is a numerical evaluation at the technical evaluation stage the Technical/Financial Evaluation Committee shall be convened online for the recording online of all marks by individual members and such electronic record shall be retained for reference, the minutes and the evaluation sheet shall be finalised and the technical numerical evaluation shall be uploaded into the CPPP.

Step 5 : The technical evaluation document on being uploaded on the CPPP shall also be mailed by the Supervisory Tender Custodian to the members of the Evaluation Committee prior to the opening of the financial envelope.

Step 6 : Opening of financial bid – As the digital signature for the encryption/decryption are electronically auditable, hence the digital signature for the opening of the financial bid/envelope can be used, without physical presence of any member of the Evaluation Committee and only the physical presence of the digital signature holder/officials is necessitated.

The above standard opening procedure shall be complied with at all times and it shall be incumbent on the Supervisory Tender Custodian to ensure the compliance to this standard operating procedure.

The ADC in-charge of the Procurement Cell shall ensure compliance of this mandatory Standard Operating Procedure.

The e-procurement cell shall be supported by the Primary Tender Custodian and Secondary Custodian for customized bids on GeM or alternatively on CPPP.

Office order No. 60/2022 issued vide SEEPZ-SEZ/ADMIN/309/Misc-MoCI/2017-18/Vol-I/05922 dated 19-04-2022 with reference to only the Primary Tender Custodian/Secondary Tender Custodian/ Supervisory Tender Custodian shall continue:

• Preparation of tender documents
• Hosting of the tender on CPPP portal/GeM portal
• Timelines follow-up
• Corrigendum to be issued
• Technical Scrutiny
• Financial Evaluation
• Award of contract to successful bidder

The primary and secondary tender custodians at every stage during the tender formulation, scrutiny or evolution support shall have one official from the office of the Charted Accountant who shall provide tender support at the CA level for all procurement aspects. These shall be independent of the consultation with the Public Procurement Consultant, SEEPZ-SEZ. The three officials from the Chartered Accountant who shall support public procurement are as follows:

For all electronic tenders where there is a technical envelope for evaluation with a set of documentation that should accompany a bid, the following officials shall individually and not as a committee, evaluate and scrutinize only the documentation submitted with the bid for the technical evaluation criterion and each of these officials shall only scrutinize in only Yes/No manner. The digital record of submission of document for consideration by Tender Evaluation Committee formally with specific indication of any shortfall in documents in committee report. At no stage shall any of the below mentioned officials attempt any manner of evaluation of the technical content of the bids, only a individual record of scrutiny shall be submitted to the Member Secretary of the Tender Evaluation Committee for further process.

(a) A five member committee is prescribed for SEEPZ, SEZ for Consultancy Evaluation Committee (CEC) as under Para 6.5 of the Manual of Procurement of Consultancy and Other Services which otherwise provides a three member committee which will not suit the organization balance for SEEPZ, SEZ. The Consultancy Evaluation Committee shall be chaired by the DC, SEEPZ, SEZ and the members shall be Jt. D.C, SEEPZ, SEZ, DDC, SEEPZ, SEZ, AO, SEEPZ, SEZ (as financial authority) from SEEPZ, SEZ and Specified Officer, representing issues relating to Customs administration and clearance in DTA for all consulting services. This five-member committee shall be notified as the Consultancy Evaluation Committee (CEC)

(b) Each member shall peruse the RFP for any specific procurement and be given a proper technical evaluation sheet as per the evaluation matrix by the tender custodian. This tender evaluation sheet shall be filled up and signed and submitted to the tender custodian once the evaluation discussions have been completed and the individual member shall enter his/ her evaluation marks and sign the tender evaluation sheet meant for the individual member of the consultancy evaluation committee and thereafter hand over the same to the tender custodian for safekeep.

(c) The tender custodian shall add up all the specific marks in any specific evaluation criterion and prepare the final evaluation sheet after averaging out all the marks and this final evaluation sheet shall be signed by all the consultancy evaluation committee members. The final evaluation sheet shall be the sheet which is signed by all the members and then uploaded on the CPPP for the quality evaluation criterion and there after only the financial envelope opening shall be proceeded with.

The engagement of any government/outsourced official is subject to the incumbency of the official in the office.

The Tender evaluation Committee shall be chaired by the DC SEEPZ, SEZ and shall have the following members:

The above Tender Evaluation Committee shall also be the Competent Authority to evaluate & accept any specific bid and declare the same as successful bidder. Award of contract shall be with due compliance to procedure internally on record.

This tender evaluation committee shall also for proper co-ordination for all procurement mechanism along with the Customs administration in SEEPZ-SEZ as the said committee shall have the Specified Officer, SEEPZ-SEZ as a present number of the tender evaluation committee which will obviate issues of co-ordination related to Customs administration in specific procurement earlier.

The engagement of any government/outsourced official is subject to the incumbency of the official in the office.

General Financial Rules (GFRS) are a compilation of rules and orders of Government of India to be followed while dealing with matters involving public finances. These rules and orders are to be treated as executive instructions to be observed by all Departments and Organisations under the Government and specified bodies except otherwise provided for in these rules.

Separately with the objective of improving transparency in decision making in public procurement and reducing the scope for subjectivity, Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, Government of India has prepared a set of three manual on policies and procedures for procurement of Goods, works and hiring of consultants, in conformity with the General Finance Rules, 2017.

Further, Government of India has issued new instructions in the domain of public procurement including the introduction of Central Public Procurement Portal (CPPP), Government E- market Place (GeM), preferential market access for micro and small enterprises, inclusion of integrity pact etc.

With the aim to ensure 100% compliance to the General Financial Rules and Central Vigilance Commission guidelines the following standard operating procedure is hereby notified by the Development Commissioner, SEEPZ, Mumbai, being competent authority, to be adopted and complied with by SEEPZ, Mumbai administrative office, in a sequential manner as enumerated, without fail. Henceforth for all manner of procurement under funds provisioned under the SEZ Act, 2005 and SEZ Authority Rules, 2009 read with instructions and directions from Ministry of Commerce and Industries, Government of India.

Stage 1 : Delegation of Financial Powers

Development Commissioner, SEEPZ, Mumbai shall notify the delegation of financial powers as vested by notification by Government of India in the Ministry of Finance, Government of India and as provisioned in the SEZ, Act 2005 read with SEZ authority Rules, 2009.

[GFR-Rule 4, Rule 10, Rule 11, Rule 21, Rule 22 and Rule 23]

Stage 2 : Development Commissioner, SEEPZ, SEZ Mumbai shall ensure that the SEEPZ administration shall make presentation of the Annual Financial Statement in conformity to procedure prescribed in the notified Budget Manual of SEEPZ, SEZ authority and relevant provisions under the SEZ Act, 2005 and SEZ Rules, 2009 read with relevant provisions of General Financial Rules, 2017. The SEZ Authority shall deliberate during the Authority Meeting, in the nature of a Budget session and pass the Annual Financial Statement with due consideration as per the Budget Manual of SEEPZ, SEZ authority.

[SEZ Act and SEZ authority Rules 2009 GFR - Chapter 2 - Rule 42, Rule 44, Rule 45, Rule 47, Rule 50 (1) and (2), Rule 51 (1), Rule 52 (1), (2) and (3)]

Stage 3 : After notification of the Annual Financial Statement as consented to by SEZ authority, the same shall be communicated to all sections of SEEPZ Administration and in pursuance of execution of procurement of works/ Goods/ Services (Consulting/ Non consulting) the SEEPZ administration nodal officer in the various sections shall prepare "Statement of Intent of Procurement" as per prescribed format (Annexure 1) and submit for scrutiny and concurrence of Finance and Accounts Section under the supervision of the Pay and Accounts officer.

(GFR- Chapter 2-Rule 57, Rule 61, Rule 63, Rule 64]

Stage 4 : On receipt of "Statement of Intent of Procurement the Finance and Accounts Section shall scrutinise the statement details and accord "concurrence remarks" on the Statement of Intent of Procurement with specific details of detailed head of expenditure in the Annual Financial Statement from which the expenditure shall be admissible and the preliminary aspects related to procurement methodology and approach proposed by the Internal Procurement Cell in the Finance and Accounts Section of SEEPZ Administration in a detailed structured Concurrence Note as per approved format (Annexure 2) and revert the proposal to the proposing Administrative section within a span of 2 (two) working days

[GFR Chapter 2- Rule 57, Rule 61, Rule 63, Rule 64, Chapter 4 on manner of accounting]

Stage 5 : The Proposing Section of SEEPZ Administration shall on receipt of "concurrence remarks" submit the proposal for approval in principal for according Administrative Approval as per approved format by the Development Commissioner, SEEPZ for "administrative consent” to procure works/ goods/ consulting/ non-consulting services for SEEPZ Administration as per approved format (Annexure 3) .

[GFR- Chapter 3- Rule 70, Chapter 4 - Rule 84, Rule 98, Rule 99, Chapter 5 (Works) - Rule 131, Rule 136, Rule 137, Rule 138, Rule 139, Rule 140, Chapter - Rule 144, Rule 149, Rule 160, Rule 177(Consulting Services), Rule 178, Rule 197, Rule 198]

Stage 6 : On Issuance of the Administrative Approval by the Development Commissioner, SEEPZ, the concerned section shall undertake in consultation with the procurement cell of the Finance and Accounts Section the preparation of "the proposed procurement framework and time lines and submit the draft procurement framework for views/validation by procurement cell of the draft framework as being compliant with the General Financial Rules and Manuals of Procurement of Goods/ Works/ Consulting and Non-Consulting Services with a GFR/ Manual of Procurement compliance note as per approved format (Annexure 4) .

[Screening of the proposed procurement framework and time lines against the GFR and Manual of Procurement of Works/ Goods/ Services as applicable)

Stage 7 : After receiving the views/validation of the Internal Procurement cell of Finance and Accounts Section the concerned administrative, section of SEEPZ administration shall submit the matter for consideration of Development Commissioner, SEEPZ for approval as competent authority for going ahead with the proposed procurement framework and time lines.

Stage 8 : On approval of the Development Commissioner, SEEPZ the Committee entrusted for procurement shall go ahead with the procurement process, float bid document/ tender and evaluate received bids as per the provisions of the General Financial Rules and the Manual of Procurement of Goods/ Works and Services ( Consulting/ Non Consulting) and recommend successful bidder for award of contract with specific comments of the Bid Evaluation Committee on record of certification of compliance to General Financial Rules and Manual of Procurement of Goods/ Services (consulting/ Non consulting)/ Works as per approved format (Annexure 5) .

Stage 9 : On receipt of the recommendations of the Bid Evaluation Committee the concerned administrative Section shall submit the proposal with a concise note on all stages as per the approved format (Annexure 6) for the approval of the Development Commissioner, SEEPZ for award of contract to the recommended bidder/vendor/service provider with the detailed contract framework.

Stage 10 : On approval by the Development Commissioner, SEEPZ the award of contract shall be issued along with the work order and the Committee constituted for monitoring of the contract and contract management shall follow the due process of compliance of the contract management framework and certify all claims for payment by vendor/ contractor/ service provider with a certification of works/ goods/ service having been properly executed and satisfactorily completed as provisioned per the provisions of General Financial Rules. Such certification by the contract managing committee shall be in an approved format (Annexure 7) .

[GFR- Chapter 8- Rule 224 to Rule 227]

Stage 11 : On receipt of the certification by the Contract management committee or the committee that monitored the supply of goods/ works, the matter in record shall be submitted to the Finance and Accounts Section to examine and validate the compliance to the GFR and CVC for claims received and shall cross validate the submission of the committee in a pre- approved format (Annexure 8) of the compliance to GFR and CVC mandates and return the proposal to the section from where the need for such validation is requisitioned.

Stage 12 : On submission of the certification of works/goods/ services having been properly executed and satisfactorily completed as provisioned under the provisions of the General Financial Rules and receipt of claim of payment/ part bill thereof and the Finance and Accounts Section having validated the compliance of the claim to the provisions of the GFR and the CVC guidelines, the concerned administrative section shall submit the proposal for grant of financial sanction to the Development Commissioner, SEEPZ who shall examine the matter and on satisfaction of all aspects grant the financial sanction as per approved format (Annexure 9) .

[GFR Rule 29, Rule 30]

Stage 13 : After obtaining the approval of the Development Commissioner, SEEPZ the Pay and Accounts officer functioning as also the Drawing and Disbursing officer shall examine the proposal from the concerned section for release of payment and prior to release of payment to the vendor/ contractor/ service provider shall certify himself of all aspects and ensure placement on record of a certification that the works have been examined as satisfactorily completed and the expenditure to be incurred in payment of demand thereof is in conformity and compliance to the General Financial Rules in an approved format (Annexure 10) ,

Stage 14 : After release of payment by way of account transfer/ Direct benefit transfer/ electronic fund transfer the Pay and Accounts officer shall record the disbursement thereof alongside the certification as at Stage 13 and resubmit the records thereof to the concerned administrative section that shall there after place the matter to the office of the Development Commissioner, SEEPZ to record a utilisation certificate as per provisions of the GFR in an approved format (Annexure 11) .

[GFR-Chapter 9- Rule 238 to Rule 242]

Stage 15 : For all such proposals resulting in expenditure and record as indicated herein above, the Development Commissioner, SEEPZ shall ensure that all utilisation certificates are collated and compliance of the provisions of the General Financial Rules and the CVC guidelines are apprised by way of formal submission to the SEEPZ, SEZ authority for a particular financial year, specifically for the authority meeting assigned for the consideration of the annual financial statement of the succeeding year. This shall be duly recorded in the authority meetings with reference to the budget manual of SEEPZ and in compliance to the General Financial Rules as per an approved format. (Annexure 12)

[GFR-Rule 242]

Stage 16 : As a final consolidation of the manner of expenditure from the SEZ authority accounts the Development Commissioner, SEEPZ shall ensure the audit of all expenditures and records thereof by the Comptroller and Auditor General as per due process. All manner of observations of non compliance or audit scrutiny remarks shall be taken on record and replies thereof furnished to the Comptroller and Auditor General. The Comptroller and Auditor General's report shall be retained as mandated per rules.

[GFR- Rule 39, Rule 40, Rule 41 and Rule 242]