Interpretation

(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, “Accounting Officer” means the public officer who is the head of a Government Ministry or Department charged with the responsibility of controlling the various votes of the Financial Estimates of Revenues and Expenditure falling within his Ministry or Department, as the case maybe, in accordance with those Financial Estimates and the written instructions issued from time to time by the Ministry responsible for Finance; “Chief Executive Officer” includes the Cabinet Secretary, the Financial Secretary, the Solicitor General and a Chief Executive Officer; “contract” or “government contract” means a written or oral agreement for the procurement or sale by the Government of goods or services, or a combination of goods and services, setting out the conditions of the contract, the specification or description of the goods or services, or the goods and services, procured or sold under the contract, but does not include anything regulated under the National Lands Act, Cap. 191 or Regulations made there under, which shall subject to the 6 provisions alibis Act to the contrary, continue to be regulated by the procedures specified in, and the provisions of, the National Lands Act, Cap. 191 and Regulations made there under to the exclusion of this Act; “Financial Estimates” or “Estimates.” means the financial Estimates of revenue and expenditure referred to in section 115 of the Belize Constitution, Cap. 4; “Financial Orders” and “Stores Orders” means administrative instructions made from time to time by the Minister of Finance, directed only to public officers, for their internal guidance in the handling, processing, receipt, acquisition or disposal of public revenues, property and contracts as provided in this Act; “financial year” in respect of the Government, means the twelve months ending on the 31st March in any year or such other date as may from time to time be prescribed by any law enacted by the National Assembly; “limited tendering procedure” means a tendering procedure, (a) of procurement set out in section 20 of this Act whereby no tender is called by the Government or whereby suppliers are invited individually by the Government to submit a tender for a contract; or (b) of sale set out in section 20 of this Act whereby no tender is called by the Government or where by purchasers are invited individually by the Government to submit a tender for a contract; “Minister” means the Minister responsible for Finance; “open tendering procedure” means a tendering procedure, 7 (a) of procurement of goods or services, or a combination of goods and services by contract by the Government; or (b) of sale of goods or services, or a combination of goods and services by contract by the in accordance with section 19 of this Act; “procurement” means a procurement of goods or services, or a combination of goods and services by contract by the “public moneys” means, (a) all revenues or other moneys raised or received by Belize referred in section 114(1) of the Belize Constitution, Cap. 4; (b) any other moneys held, whether temporarily or otherwise, by any person, for and on behalf of the Government; “selective tendering procedure” means a tendering procedure, (a) of procurement of goods or services, or a combination of goods and services by the Government where by only suppliers invited to do so by the Government may submit a tender for a contract; (b) of sale of goods or services, or a combination of goods and services by the Government whereby only purchasers invited to do so by the Government may submit a tender for a 8 “Special Fund” means a Fund referred to in section 9 of this Act; “statutory body’ means a body established by virtue of an Act to perform public functions, but does not include a town, city or village council; “statutory expenditure” means expenditure which is charged on the Consolidated Revenue Fund established under section 114(1) of the Belize Constitution, Cap. 4 by virtue of the provisions of this Act or any other law. (2) In this Act, a reference to a Government Ministry includes a reference to a Government Department, and vice versa. (3) Where in any law reference is made to the expression “General Revenue” or to any of its variations and cognate expressions, such reference shall be read and construed by any court of law or any person or Government Ministry as a reference to the Consolidated Revenue Fund established under section 114(1) of the Belize Constitution, Cap 4. (4) In this Act, reference to a contract, procurement or sale means reference to a contract, procurement or sale for consideration.