(1) The chief of public entity shall form a committee under convenorship of the procurement official referred to in Rule 16 and consisting of at least two members to open the bids or
proposals registered with the public entity, and cause such bids or proposals to be opened in presence of the bidders or their representatives at the pre-determined time.
Provided that nothing shall bar the opening of bids or proposals for the sole reason that a bidder or his or her representative is not present.
(2) The public entity shall, prior to opening bids pursuant to sub-rule open(1), separate the envelopes of the bids received after the expiry of the deadline, the envelopes containing applications made for modification or withdrawal of bids and the envelopes of the bids duly registered and return unopened the bids received after the expiry of the deadline. In so returning, a report of the procurement proceeding setting out, inter alia, the content, date and time of the same shall be prepared.
(3) The public entity shall, after returning the bids pursuant to sub-rule (2), open the envelope of every bid which is requested by the bidder for withdrawal and read out the name of such a bidder and then open all envelopes submitted for modification of bids and read out the content inside such envelopes.
(4) The public entity shall, after reading out the content referred to in sub-rule (3), open every submitted bid one by one, and read out the following contents of such a bid, prepare a record (Muchulka) thereof and cause such a record (Muchulka) to be signed by the concerned bidder or his or her representative who is present:
(a) Name and address of the bidder,
(b) Quoted price of the bid,
(c) If any discount is offered to be given in the bid, statement thereof,
(d) If any alternative to technical specifications is offered, the quoted price thereof,
(e) Whether the bid security is accompanied or not,
(f) If there is discrepancy between figures and words, details of such discrepancy,
(g) Whether the letter of bid and price schedule contains the signature of the bidder or his or her representative or not,
(h) In the case of correction or obliteration of the bidding documents, the amount and statement written after such obliteration,
(i) Whether the place of correction or obliteration contains the signature of the bidder or his or her representative or not,
(j) In the case of any remarks mentioned by the bidder in the letter of bid, the content thereof, and the description of the rate, if any, invited, and
(k) Other necessary matters which the public entity considers appropriate.
(5) At the time of opening bids pursuant to this Rule, no decision may be made to accept or reject a bid.
(6) In opening bids or proposals pursuant to sub-rule (1), in the case of the bids or proposals referred to in Rules 31E. and 31F., the outer envelopes of the bids or proposals shall be opened pursuant to Section
32 of the Act, financial proposals shall be segregated unopened and safely retained pursuant to Rule 57.