Around one-third of govt contracts for legal services awarded to small and medium-sized firms over the past five years: DPM Heng

Around one-third of government contracts for the provision of legal services were awarded to small and medium-sized firms over the past five years, said Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat.

Mr Heng said this in a written reply on Monday (10 May) to the Workers’ Party (WP) Member of Parliament (MP) Leon Perera’s question about the extent of the Government’s engagement with such firms for legal matters such as litigation, negotiation, and contract reviews.

Small and medium-sized firms are defined as those with only up to 30 lawyers.

Addressing the second part of Mr Perera’s question on what processes are in place to ensure fair consideration for small and medium-sized law firms, Mr Heng, who is also Finance Minister, noted that Government agencies conduct their procurement “in accordance with the principles of transparency, open and fair competition, and value for money”.

“Contracts are awarded to suppliers who are best able to meet the agencies’ requirements, such as whether they possess the specific expertise required, while ensuring cost effectiveness. The requirements and criteria for selecting the supplier are specified upfront in each tender or quotation request,” he said.