LAHORE, May 13: The government is planning to extend validity of pre-qualified firms for health department for one year.

Provincial health secretary Malik Javed stated this at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry here on Saturday.

About medical equipment, he said their maintenance had been a problem for quite some time and now the government had decided to introduce biomedical instruments in various institutions of the province and they would be in place within 18 months.

LCCI president Mian Shafqat Ali said in the past, registration and pre-qualification of firms for supplies were carried out by the respective administrative departments after thorough scrutiny and procedure laid down in the Purchase Manual. After the introduction of devolution plan, the health department had stopped renewal and registration of firms, creating difficulties for the pre-qualification and registration of firms.

It was proposed that registration and pre-qualification of firms should be carried out by the provincial departments concerned and district departments might register manufacturers or agents in their areas, if required. Furthermore, a target period of three to six months from the application date should be specified to complete the processing of application.

He said the health department was demanding the authentication of agreements from the embassies concerned even if it was just extension.