Study on the history of the tendering and contracting system for public works and its future direction

Abstract

The tendering and contracting system for public works has experienced many revisions aiming to prevent bid rigging and extremely low bidding starting in the Edo period when people created a way to give out a contract and going through the Meiji period up to the present date. This study first trace the history of the tendering and contracting system and then analyze the questionable points of the current system for pricing regulation, business and engineering evaluation and so on.Based on those discussions it suggests the future direction of relevant systems including the Public Account Law and the business and engineering evaluation system from the viewpoint of the owner's role of procuring good quality public works at a reasonable price in fair manner.As an interim measure it proposes establishing business and engineering evaluation system common to project owners within regions.