The UK will invite bidders for prime contracts over £1m ($1.6m) in value, where it is reasonable to do so, to identify the volume of work they intend to sub-contract to SMEs. The MoD will ask primes to advise on the steps they will take to increase SME participation in the supply chain for government contracts.
Norway will transpose Directive 2009/81/EC into national law, but in its own good time and not at the behest of the European Commission. Offsets are continuing to be demanded under the prevailing regulations and the EC is powerless to intervene.
The EC has written to the German and Dutch governments warning them that if they fail to comply with Directive 2009/81/EC within two months they may face fines. An EC spokesperson told CTO that neither country had shown any initiative so far, whereas the other non-compliant member states have at least shown a willingness to transpose the directive.
The activist whose crusade against corruption in South Africa’s arms procurement program in the 1990s has brought about the Commission of Inquiry, may move to have the entire arms deal repudiated and declared \unfixable.\"
"A dithering MoD finally roused itself sufficiently in late January to pull a surprise out of the hat. It appointed the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FIICI) instead of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) as the Defexpo organiser.