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REGULATORY LEGAL AND CONTRACTUAL ASPECTS OF PPP IN WATER. AJAY RAGHAVAN Counsel. Training Workshop, Bhopal, February 2009. THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTRACTS. THE NEED FOR A CONTRACT. WHY CONTRACT:
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REGULATORY LEGAL AND CONTRACTUAL ASPECTS OF PPP IN WATER AJAY RAGHAVAN Counsel Training Workshop, Bhopal, February 2009
THE NEED FOR A CONTRACT WHY CONTRACT: • The legal relationship between the government and the private party sets out the rights and obligations • In the absence of a detailed document, breach and achievement of the targets cannot be quantified DETAILED OR SIMPLE? • The more detailed the greater thought is given to eventualities • Simple drafting is unlikely to be mutually contradictory
THE CONTRACTING PROCESS HELPS CLARIFY: • Objectives and Expectations • Risks and Liabilities • Dependencies and Consequences ESTABLISHES: • The basis for the contractual relationship • The reward and remuneration regime • The principles and remedies for termination
TERMS OF ENGAGEMENT APPOINTMENT: • Necessary in order to formally hand over the public service to the private party • Where the private party has bid in consortium this clause will establish the prime • Sets out the date of coming into effect of the PPP PRE-CONDITIONS: • The statutory basis for the PPP must be sound – necessary amendments must be made if required
OBLIGATIONS OF THE CONTRACTOR: • Exhaustively details the service obligations of the contractor through multiple phases of the PPP • Sets out the baseline service obligations and the performance targets for improvements OF THE GOVERNMENT: • Actions required to provide inputs necessary for the successful performance of the Services • In relation to all the dependencies
CONTRACTOR’S RIGHTS SERVICE RIGHTS: • Details the rights that the Contractor needs in order to perform the Services • Sets out the exclusions to the absolute rights that may be handed over DEPENDENCY RIGHTS: • Sets out the rights that the Contractor has to the dependencies
OPERATIONAL DETAILS SERVICE DETAILS: • Details the operational obligations of the Contractor in relation to the Services • Planning the year – implementation and budgeting REVENUE DETAILS: • Details in relation to the collection and handling of revenues
PROCUREMENT PROCESS: • Set out the process for procurement of assets • Ensure that the procurement process conforms to the statutory restrictions on government procurement TRANSFER OF TITLE: • Details in relation to the time and manner of the transfer of title over procured assets • Establish right over procured assets during the term of the PPP contract
EMPLOYEES CONTROL: • Details the supervision and control over government employees inherited as part of the PPP • Establishes who has the power of hire and fire over employees CONTRACTOR EMPLOYEES: • Details separate rights and obligations in respect of Contractor employees
SUB-CONTRACTS HIRING AND CONTROL: • Details of the extent to which the Contractor can utilise sub-contractors • Must conform to Government policies on the hiring of sub-contractors to perform the Services. LIABILITY: • Details of the extent of Contractor liability for actions of sub-contractors
INSURANCE ASSETS: • Details as to how the assets will be insured and who will bear responsibility for insurance PEOPLE: • Extending the insurance to employees and third party injury COMPLIANCE • Affixing liability for failure to comply or maintain insurance
TERMINATION DETAILS: • List the reasons for termination – different for the Government and the Contractor • Dealing with disputes in relation to termination CONSEQUENCES: • Setting out the monetary consequences of termination. • Deal with the termination of ancillary agreements and sub-contractor arrangements • Dealing with Hand-Back
LIABILITY AND INDEMNITY LIABILITY: • Setting out the extent of liability including limitation and caps on total liability • Dealing with indirect, consequential liability INDEMNITY: • For the consequences of damage resulting to the government from Contractor actions. • Special indemnities – such as for intellectual property
FORCE MAJEURE DEFINITION: • Establish a narrow definition for force majeure – ensure that Contractor’s obligations are not diluted • List the force majeure events rather than describing it CONSEQUENCES: • Stipulate the obligation to mitigate force majeure. • Require immediate notification of the existence of the force majeure • Extension of time to perform
DISPUTE RESOLUTION DEALING WITH DISPUTES: • Establish what constitutes a dispute • Escalate through a defined process to attempt mediated settlement • Move to arbitration if all else fails PERFORMANCE DURING DISPUTE: • Deal with performance during the existence of a dispute.
DEPENDENCIES DETAIL: • List exhaustively the dependencies upon which the contractor’s performance depend • Identify whose responsibility it is to procure the dependencies FAILURE TO PROVIDE: • Detail the consequences of a failure to provide the dependencies.
SERVICES TO THE POOR PROGRAMS: • Specifically define services to the poor and create programs that span the contract • Establish processes to measure performance COSTS: • Detail the costs of providing the services to the poor and mechanisms to make this cost effective.
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS PROCESS: • Establish a process for regular reporting on key parameters • Ensure regular financial reporting on all aspects of the project PERFORMANCE TARGETS: • Establish mechanisms to regularly check on the achievement of performance targets.
PERFORMANCE TARGETS DETAILS: • Establish detailed performance targets for all phases of the Contract • Ensure that the targets remain reasonable and achievable ADJUSTMENT: • Establish mechanisms to adjust the performance targets if they are based on inaccurate assumptions.
REMUNERATION PRICING MODEL: • Establish a pricing model suitable to the structure of the PPP • Stipulate details of the penalty – reward regime • Address advance payments, capital work programs, etc. PENALTIES AND EARN BACKS: • Establish mechanisms to allow for earn backs of appropriate penalties.
PROJECT CONTROL COMMITTEE DETAILS: • Establish a coordination committee to supervise the project • Empower the committee to take decisions with regard to the project • Require the committee to liaise with other government agencies required in connection with dependencies • Ensure that the Contractor has representation on the Committee
MODEL CONTRACTS A BEGINNING: • Model contracts have all the required clauses that go into typical PPP Contracts • Model contracts must be modified to reflect the requirements of each PPP UNIFORMITY • Model contracts help bring uniformity in practice and convention – which help establish a jurisprudence • Uniformity across projects helps true benchmarking