Pricing guide unveiled for wholesalers, contractors

Rashidi with the newly launched guidebook, which covers two categories.

SHAH Alam City Council (MBSA) has launched a guidebook on market price rates for work commonly carried out by the local authority.

It is the first local council in the country to have embarked on such an initiative.

Shah Alam deputy mayor Rashidi Ruslan said the book, Jadual Kadar Harga MBSA 2022/2023, would serve as a guide especially for wholesalers and bidding contractors.

The book has been published in two categories — Building & Infrastructure Work, and Landscaping & Cleaning Work.

Rashidi said the book provided a uniform price rate for the same scope of work to wholesalers and contractors when bidding for tenders.

“MBSA prepares contracts for projects to ensure that services and facilities are provided for Shah Alam residents.

“The allocation offered by MBSA is important to ensure the work is ‘value for money’ and beneficial to all parties,” he said in his speech at the launch of the guidebook at Wisma MBSA in Shah Alam.

As at November, he said the city council issued 405 documents for work contracts, service contracts and supply contracts.

Rashidi said based on previous tenders, MBSA found there were instances of contractors quoting inflated prices for jobs and projects.

“Common examples are when the wholesaler’s offer price for each item, in the offer document, was unreasonable and higher than current market price.

“Wholesalers are advised to be careful in pricing their jobs because appropriate pricing can benefit and facilitate both the city council and the wholesaler,” he added.

The Building & Infrastructure Work price guide is being sold at RM50 while the Landscaping & Cleaning Work guide costs RM30.

Those interested can visit the MBSA headquarters or log onto www.mbsa.gov.my/ for details.

Rashidi said the price guide was usually issued by the Public Works Department.

“There are contract jobs offered by the city council, too, hence the MBSA price guide,” he said, adding that the book would be published every two years to ensure the rates provided were up to date.

After the launch, there was a briefing on the procedure to complete the tender documents.