Prepared by:

GB/JD

Approved by:

Preceded by Procedure No:

11

Followed by Procedure No:

12

Purpose:

To specify and publicise the procedures to pre-qualify to bid for Timber Utilisation Contracts (TUC)

Applies to:

FC Chief Executive

Reference Documents:

LI 1721

Procedure:

1.       The FC Chief Executive is responsible for arranging for advertisements inviting organisations to pre-qualify to bid for TUCs.

2.       Advertisements will state:

a)       that the Forestry Commission is inviting interested parties to apply to pre-qualify to bid for rights to harvest timber in accordance with the provisions of Act 617 and L.I. 1721;

b)       that applicants must be registered in Ghana and will be pre-qualified on the basis their good standing with regard to their record of regulatory compliance, annual turnover from forest product sales,and, where applicable, evidence of their investment in downstream processing. ;

c)       that different sizes of TUC may be available for bidding for different organisations, based on those organisations' size categories ("Large", Medium" and "Small");

d)       that pre-qualification is valid for 12 months, provided there is no material change in the status of a pre-qualified organisation, and any pre-qualified organisation may bid for any TUC that is advertised within that period;

e)       that TUCs for Forest Reserve areas have a 40-year term and TUCs for non-Forest Reserve areas have a five-year term;

f)         that all applications will be considered at regular meetings of a Timber Rights Evaluation Committee;

g)       the date of the next Evaluation Committee Meeting and the last date for the submission of applications that are to be considered by that meeting; and

h)       that application forms for pre-qualification may be purchased for the current fee at the Forestry Commission headquarters and at regional and district offices in the high forest zone.

3.       Advertisements are placed in two newspapers with regular national circulation on two dates within a 7-day period and the copy is posted in accessible places at relevant regional and district offices.