Provisional Translation
| OTO No. | 507 | Classification | MOC-18 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of Acceptance | November 10, 1993 | Ministry/Agency Receiving Complaint | Economic Planning Agency |
| Responsible Ministries | Ministry of Construction | Related Laws | |
| Complainant | Royal Swedish Embassy (proxy complaint) | Exporting Countries | Sweden |
| Subject | Government procurement standards pertaining to reinforced steel girder construction on the Akashi Straits Bridge | ||
| Details of Measures | 1. Materials used in construction for the Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Authority (hereafter, "the Authority") are procured entirely by the contractors themselves, and even when standards are already set out in specifications and so on, the contractors may use materials not specified in the specifications, if they are certified to be of equivalent performance. Accordingly, regarding procurement of materials for reinforced steel girder construction on the Akashi Straits Bridge (hereafter, "the construction"), the complainant was advised that contractors may use materials from foreign makers, if the contractors judge that these are of quality equal to that in the specifications, based on generally accepted foreign test data and performance abroad, and with the approval of the Authority, and that foreign makers are not shut out. Confirmation that the quality of construction materials conforms to the provisions of the specifications had formerly been carried out for each construction project. However, since July 1, 1994, the Ministry of Construction has amended and expanded the foreign material quality certification system. Under this system, the Public Works Research Center or the Construction Materials Testing Center can certify the quality of the materials, upon application from the manufacturer or builder, and issue a "Foreign Construction Materials Quality Inspection Certificate." Accordingly, the complainant was advised that if they present a Foreign Construction Materials Quality Inspection Certificate for high-tension steel plate issued by either of the centers to the Authority, the Authority would confirm that the materials in question conform to the Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Authority Specifications (HBS). 2. The complainant was advised that the Authority's specifications would not carry the names of specific makers to be selected from, for procurement of high-tension steel plate for the Authority's construction projects. |
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| Classification of Processing | A | Directions | IV |
| Remarks | Improvement measures were taken on July 1, 1994. | ||