(1) Notwithstanding anything contained elsewhere in this Regulation, the Government of Nepal may establish a government procurement service office at the central level in order to assit the public entities referred to in sub-clause (1) of clause (b) of Section 2 of the Act in selecting suppliers and procuring goods.
(2) The public entities referred to in sub-clause (1) of clause (b) of Section 2 of the Act shall, in understanding with the government procurement service office established pursuant to sub-rule (1), procure such goods as specified by the Government of Nepal by a notification in the Nepal Gazette from such suppliers as selected by that office.
(3) The functions of the office established pursuant to sub-rule (1) shall be as follows:
(a) To collect procurement requisitions along with description relating to the type, quality, quantity of
the goods, time when goods will be required and budget provision from the public entities referred to in sub-clause (1) of clause (b) of Section 2 of the Act and make understandings with such entities,
(b) To analyse procurement requisitions and prepare specification of goods, cost estimate and bidding documents,
(c) To invite bids and select suppliers,
(d) To give notice to the concerned public entities to make procurement in accordance with the procurement terms concluded with the suppliers.
(4) The Public Procurement Monitoring Office shall issue separate procurement guidelines for the operation of government procurement service.
(5) Notwithstanding anything contained elsewhere in this Rule, if the market price is cheaper than the price determined by the office established pursuant to sub-rule (1), nothing contained in this Rule shall bar procurement from the market.