Notice of the Ministry of Finance on Carrying out the Pilot Program on Credit Guarantee for Government Procurement

财政部关于开展政府采购信用担保试点工作的通知

Promulgating Institution: Ministry of Finance

Document Number: Cai Ku [2011] No. 124

Promulgating Date: 09/05/2011

Effective Date: 09/05/2011

颁布机关: 财政部

文      号: 财库[2011]124号

颁布时间: 09/05/2011

实施时间: 09/05/2011

To relevant departments of the CPC Central Committee, departments and commissions of, and institutions directly under the State Council, the General Office of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the General Office of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, relevant people's organizations, the Central Government Procurement Center, the Procurement Center of organs directly under the CPC Central Committee, the Procurement Center of National People's Congress Organs, the Centralized Procurement Center of the People's Bank of China, the Centralized Procurement Center of the State Administration of Taxation, the Supplies and Equipment Procurement Center of the General Administration of Customs, as well as the finance departments (bureaus) of Beijing Municipality, Heilongjiang, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Hunan, Henan, Shandong and Shaanxi provinces,

With a view to enforcing the Certain Opinions of the State Council on Further Promotion of the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises (Guo Fa [2009] No. 36) and the essence of relevant meetings, supporting and promoting the development of small and medium-sized enterprises ("SMEs"), further playing the role of government procurement policy, and promoting the innovation in, and the integrity system building of, the government procurement system, the Ministry of Finance ("MOF") has decided to launch the pilot program on credit guarantee for government procurement at the level of the Central Government and in Beijing Municipality, Heilongjiang, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Hunan, Henan, Shandong and Shaanxi provinces. Relevant issues are hereby notified as follows:

Credit guarantee for government procurement is to introduce credit guarantee to government procurement activities as a policy tool whereby specialized guarantee institutions provide purchasers, procurement agencies and financial institutions with guarantee for suppliers in the following three forms: bid guarantee, performance guarantee and financing guarantee. As a market-oriented operation means offering effective risk diversification and credit enhancement, credit guarantee for government procurement is conducive to reducing the costs incurred by SMEs to participate in government procurement, increasing their chances of participation, broadening their financing channels, and optimizing the development environment for SMEs. The introduction of credit guarantee helps form a market-oriented mechanism integrating interests, responsibilities and restraints during government procurement activities, and helps improve government procurement process control, make available more regulatory means, guard against the risks of government procurement and improve the quality of government procurement.

The pilot program on credit guarantee for government procurement is to run tentatively for two years from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2013. All regions and entities participating in the pilot program shall attach great importance to such work, strengthen organization and leadership, designate the persons to take charge thereof, and seriously study the execution measures pursuant to the requirements of the Work Plan of the Ministry of Finance on the Pilot Program on Credit Guarantee for Government Procurement (see Appendix). Specifically, all regions participating in the pilot program and all centralized procurement centers of the Central Government and other departments shall submit their respective plan for execution of the pilot program to the MOF for record-filing by November 30, 2011. The pilot plans of centralized procurement centers shall list the revisions to relevant terms of the procurement documents. All regions and entities participating in the pilot program shall provide the MOF with timely feedback on the situations and issues encountered during execution of the pilot program. The regions participating in the pilot program and the centralized procurement centers of the Central Government and other departments shall also form pilot program work reports every six months during the execution period of the pilot program and submit the same to the MOF. The MOF shall organize a work group as appropriate to assess the execution of the pilot program by all participating regions and entities.

Letters of guarantee of banks may also be used for government procurement activities in the regions and entities participating in the pilot program, provided that the banks issuing the letters of guarantee shall provide services according to the requirements herein on specialized guarantee institutions.

Tel: 010-68552920; 68552233 (Fax);

Appendix: Work Plan of the Ministry of Finance on the Pilot Program on Credit Guarantee for Government Procurement

Ministry of Finance

September 5, 2011

    党中央有关部门，国务院各部委、各直属机构，全国人大常委会办公厅，全国政协办公厅，高法院，高检院，有关人民团体，中央国家机关政府采购中心、中共中央直属机关采购中心、全国人大机关采购中心、中国人民银行集中采购中心、国家税务总局集中采购中心、海关总署物资装备采购中心，北京、黑龙江、广东、江苏、湖南、河南、山东、陕西省（市）财政厅（局）:

    为贯彻落实《国务院关于进一步促进中小企业发展的若干意见》（国发[2009]36号）及有关会议精神，支持和促进中小企业发展，进一步发挥政府采购政策功能作用，推进政府采购制度创新与诚信体系建设，财政部决定在中央本级和北京、黑龙江、广东、江苏、湖南、河南、山东、陕西等省（市）开展政府采购信用担保试点工作，现将有关事项通知如下:

    政府采购信用担保，是将信用担保作为政策工具引入政府采购领域，由专业担保机构为供应商向采购人、代理机构、金融机构提供的保证，主要包括投标担保、履约担保、融资担保三种形式。作为一种有效风险分散、信用增级的市场化运作手段，政府采购信用担保有利于降低中小企业参与政府采购的成本，增加参与政府采购的机会和扩大融资渠道，优化中小企业发展环境。通过引入信用担保手段，能够在政府采购活动中形成一种市场化的利益、责任和制约机制，有助于完善政府采购的程序控制，丰富监管手段，防范政府采购风险、提高政府采购质量。

    政府采购信用担保试点工作的试点时间暂定2年，从2012年1月1日始至2013年12月31日止。各试点地区和单位要高度重视该项工作，加强组织领导，指定专人负责，按照《财政部关于开展政府采购信用担保试点工作方案》（见附件）要求，认真研究落实措施。其中，各试点地区、中央集中和部门集中采购机构还应于2011年11月30日前，将本地区和本单位的试点工作实施方案报送财政部备案，集中采购机构的试点方案应列明对采购文件相关条款的修改情况。各试点地区和单位对试点中出现的有关情况和问题，要及时向财政部反馈，各试点地区、中央集中和部门集中采购机构还应于试点期间每半年形成试点工作报告报送财政部。财政部将择时组织工作小组，对试点地区和单位的试点工作进行评估。

    试点地区和单位的政府采购活动，亦可使用银行保函，但出具保函的银行应当比照本通知对专业担保机构的要求提供相应服务。

    联系电话:010-68552920;68552233（兼传真）;

    附件:财政部关于开展政府采购信用担保试点工作方案

    财政部

    二○一一年九月五日

Appendix:

Work Plan of the Ministry of Finance on the Pilot Program on Credit Guarantee for Government Procurement

With a view to supporting and promoting the development of small and medium-sized enterprises ("SMEs"), further playing the role of government procurement policy, and deepening the reform of the government procurement management system, this Plan is formulated pursuant to the Certain Opinions of the State Council on Further Promotion of the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises (Guo Fa [2009] No. 36) and the essence of relevant meetings.

    附件:

财政部关于开展政府采购信用担保试点工作方案

    为支持和促进中小企业发展，进一步发挥政府采购政策功能作用，深入推进政府采购管理制度改革，根据《国务院关于进一步促进中小企业发展的若干意见》（国发[2009]36号）及有关会议精神，制定本方案。

1. Guiding thoughts

Guided by the Scientific Outlook on Development, and promoting the objectives of practicing more scientific and refined financial management, efforts shall be made to thoroughly enforce the essence of the documents and meetings of the State Council on supporting and promoting the development of SMEs, so that the fields to which government procurement plays its policy role are further expanded, the capability of government procurement to serve SMEs is further enhanced, the regulatory system for government procurement is further improved, integrity building of government procurement makes substantive progress, and SMEs see significant enhancement in their abilities to participate in government procurement activities.

       一、指导思想

    以科学发展观为指导,深入贯彻落实国务院支持和促进中小企业发展有关文件和会议精神,紧紧围绕推进财政管理科学化、精细化目标,推动政府采购政策功能实施领域进一步扩展,政府采购服务中小企业能力进一步增强,政府采购监管体系进一步完善,政府采购诚信体系建设迈出实质步伐,中小企业参与政府采购能力显著提高。

2. Basic principles and overall requirements

(1) The pilot program shall be carried out in a market-driven manner, with finance departments only playing a guiding role. Finance departments in regions participating in the pilot program shall fully play the leading role of the market in resource allocation, and actively provide guidance and conduct regulation in accordance with this Plan. They shall refrain from the specific market transactions related to credit guarantee for government procurement.

(2) Parties participating in the pilot program shall make their own choices according to local realities. Participating regions may take into consideration their respective actual government procurement conditions to select, on their own, one or more of the following three forms of guarantee as prescribed herein, i.e. bid guarantee, performance guarantee and financing guarantee, to carry out the pilot program. On the other hand, suppliers may, according to their own circumstances, decide by themselves whether to adopt any of the aforesaid three forms of credit guarantee.

(3) Efforts shall be made to encourage the involvement of multiple parties and strengthen the cooperation among them. Purchasers shall allow suppliers to pay the deposit in the form of letters of guarantee issued by specialized guarantee institutions, and shall accept such letters of guarantee. Procurement agencies shall specify in the procurement documents that deposit may be paid in the form of letters of guarantee, and shall, under existing conditions, provide specialized guarantee institutions with information convenience in terms of performance guarantee and financing guarantee projects, such as information on suppliers. Finance departments shall support and encourage suppliers to make use of the means of credit guarantee. Where specialized guarantee institutions have issued letters of bid guarantee to suppliers upon review of their credit standings, purchasers and procurement agencies shall not require the suppliers to provide proofs of credit standings issued by banks and other similar documents.

(4) Guarantors shall pay off the liabilities first before exercising their right of recourse. Except for force majeure, once suppliers default, regardless of the reasons therefor, the specialized guarantee institutions bearing the guarantee responsibilities shall promptly repay the debts in accordance with the letters of guarantee for government procurement, and exercise their right of recourse in accordance with the agreements signed with the suppliers after the debts have been fully paid off.

       二、基本原则和总体要求

    (一)市场主导,财政引导。各试点地区财政部门应当充分发挥市场在配置资源中的主导作用,按照本方案的要求,积极做好引导和监管工作,不得参与政府采购信用担保市场交易的具体操作活动。

    (二)自愿选择,因地制宜。各试点地区可以结合自身政府采购工作实际,自主选择本方案规定的投标、履约和融资三种担保形式的任何一种或几种进行试点;供应商可以根据自身情况,自行决定是否选择采用上述三种信用担保形式。

    (三)多方参与,加强配合。采购人应当允许并接受供应商以专业担保机构出具的担保函的形式交纳保证金;采购代理机构应当在采购文件中列示可以以投标担保函形式缴纳保证金的相关内容,对于履约和融资担保项目,在现有条件下为专业担保机构提供有关供应商情况等信息便利。财政部门支持和鼓励供应商使用信用担保手段,专业担保机构对供应商进行资信审查后出具投标担保函的,采购人和采购代理机构不得再要求供应商提供银行资信证明等类似文件。

    (四)先予偿付,再行追偿。除不可抗力外,无论基于何种原因,供应商一旦出现违约情形,承担保证责任的专业担保机构应当先行按照政府采购担保函及时进行偿付,偿付完成后,再按与供应商签订的协议约定内容进行追偿。

3. Choice and requirements of specialized guarantee institutions

To ensure the quality of the pilot program, the principle of "imposing rigorous requirements" shall be followed so that only larger specialized guarantee institutions with good credit quality, sound organizational structure, rich industry experience and the operating license of financing guarantee institutions are selected as those eligible for the pilot program. To this end, upon consultation by and between the Ministry of Finance and the China National Investment & Guaranty Co., Ltd., the latter shall serve as the specialized guarantee institution for the pilot program at the level of the Central Government and other participating regions. In addition, the participating regions may each, based on merits, negotiate with an additional local specialized guarantee institution meeting the requirements of this Plan and add the said institution as a pilot specialized guarantee institution of their respective region.

Specialized guarantee institutions participating in the pilot program shall establish quick access channels that meet the requirements of government procurement activities, treat all participating suppliers in an equal manner, and shall not, for any reason, create any obstacle against eligible suppliers. The rates of guarantee service charge during the period of the pilot program shall be negotiated and determined by the parties themselves, provided that the comprehensive annual rate for financing guarantee service charge may not exceed 50% of the benchmark RMB lending rate for financial institutions as announced by the People's Bank of China over the corresponding period. Preferential rates shall be offered to small and medium-sized suppliers participating in government procurement to satisfy their financing needs. Those who make use of bid guarantee, performance guarantee and financing guarantee at the same time shall be exempted from the bid guarantee service charge or be given even more preferential rates. During the period of the pilot program, the rates guarantee service charge shall be appropriately lowered for projects involving people's livelihood for which the Central Government has formulated uniform policies, such as those in the field of agriculture, education, culture, social security, health care, science and technology, family planning, environmental protection, affordable housing and operating outlay for village-level organizations, as well as for government procurement projects of small and micro enterprises. In addition, a corresponding follow-up service network platform shall be established to effectively do a good job in the follow-up services for the performance of government procurement projects, and to report relevant situations in a timely manner to government procurement supervision and administration departments. Furthermore, the specialized guarantee institutions shall comply with the Tentative Administrative Measures for Financing Security Companies (Decree [2010] No. 3 of the China Banking Regulatory Commission and other six ministries and commissions), conduct business operations in a standardized manner, and meet industry regulatory requirements.

       三、专业担保机构的选择及要求

    为保障试点质量,应本着“严格把握”的原则,选择规模较大、资信优质、组织机构健全、行业经验丰富、具有融资性担保机构经营许可证的专业担保机构作为试点机构。为此,经财政部与中国投资担保有限公司协商,由中国投资担保有限公司作为中央本级和各试点地区的试点专业担保机构,各试点地区可以再择优选择一家满足本方案要求的当地专业担保机构进行协商,增列为本地区的试点专业担保机构。

    试点专业担保机构应当建立满足政府采购工作需要的快捷通道,平等对待所有参与供应商,对符合申请条件的供应商,不得以任何理由设置障碍,试点期间担保费率由双方自行商定,但融资担保综合年费率最高不得超过中国人民银行公布的同期金融机构人民币贷款基准利率的50%;要对政府采购中小企业供应商融资需求给予费率优惠,对于同时采用投标、履约和融资担保的中小企业供应商,要免收投标担保费或进一步给予费率优惠,试点期间对于中央统一制定政策,涉及农业、教育、文化、社会保障、医疗卫生、科学技术、计划生育、环境保护、保障性住房和村级组织运转经费等民生项目,以及小型和微型企业的政府采购项目,担保费率应当适度下调;要建立相应网络跟踪服务平台,切实做好政府采购项目履约情况的跟踪服务,将有关情况及时向政府采购监督管理部门报告;要遵守《融资性担保公司管理暂行办法》(中国银行业监督管理委员会等七部委令2010年第3号),规范经营,符合行业监管要求。

4. Guarantee forms under the pilot program of credit guarantee

(1) Bid guarantee

For the purpose of this Plan, bid guarantee shall refer to the guarantee provided by specialized guarantee institutions for purchasers or procurement agencies against the obligation of suppliers to pay bid bonds. Where a supplier has its bond forfeited because it withdraws the bid within the valid bid period or because it fails to sign the government procurement contract due to its own reasons after winning the bid, the relevant specialized guarantee institution shall perform the guarantee obligations in accordance with the letter of guarantee.

Purchasers or procurement agencies shall specify in the bidding documents that suppliers may pay the bid bond in the form of letters of guarantee, and shall attach the template of the letter of bid guarantee for government procurement projects (see Appendix 1) as the appendix to the bidding documents. Suppliers may voluntarily choose whether to pay the bid bond in the form of letters of bid guarantee.

(2) Performance guarantee

For the purpose of this Plan, performance guarantee shall refer to the guarantee provided by specialized guarantee institutions for purchasers against the obligation of suppliers to pay performance bonds. Where a supplier has its performance bond forfeited due to the failure to perform the obligations under a government procurement contract, the relevant specialized guarantee institution shall perform the guarantee obligations in accordance with the letter of guarantee.

Purchasers or procurement agencies shall specify in the procurement documents that suppliers may pay the performance bond in the form of letters of performance guarantee, and shall attach the template of the letter of performance guarantee for government procurement projects (see Appendix 2) as the appendix to the procurement documents. Suppliers may voluntarily choose whether to pay the performance bond in the form of letters of performance guarantee.

(3) Financing guarantee

For the purpose of this Plan, financing guarantee shall refer to the guarantee provided by specialized guarantee institutions for banks against the financing needs of suppliers.

Suppliers may voluntarily choose whether to make use of financing guarantee to raise funds for the performance of government procurement projects. Procurement agencies shall inform the suppliers in the bidding documents that they may choose whether to use financing guarantee to raise funds for the performance of government procurement projects, and shall attach the contact information of specialized guarantee institutions participating in the pilot program.

       四、信用担保试点的业务品种

    (一)投标担保。

    本方案所称的投标担保,是指由专业担保机构为供应商履行支付投标保证金的义务向采购人或者采购代理机构提供的保证担保。供应商在投标有效期内发生撤回投标文件,或中标后因自身原因不签署政府采购合同等行为而应实际支付保证金的,由专业担保机构按照担保函的约定履行担保责任。

    采购人或者采购代理机构应当在招标文件中明确规定供应商可以以投标担保函的形式交纳投标保证金,并将政府采购投标担保函样本(见附件1)作为招标文件的附件。供应商可以自愿选择是否采取投标担保函的形式交纳投标保证金。

    (二)履约担保。

    本方案所称的履约担保,是指由专业担保机构为供应商支付履约保证金的义务向采购人提供的保证担保。供应商未按政府采购合同履行约定义务而应实际支付保证金的,由专业担保机构按照担保函约定履行担保责任。

    采购人或者采购代理机构应当在采购文件中明确规定供应商可以以履约担保函的形式交纳履约保证金,并将政府采购履约担保函的样本(见附件2)作为采购文件的附件。供应商可以自愿选择是否采取履约担保函的形式交纳履约保证金。

    (三)融资担保。

    本方案所称的融资担保,是指专业担保机构为供应商向银行融资提供的保证担保。

    供应商可以自愿选择是否采取融资担保的形式为政府采购项目履约进行融资。采购代理机构应当在招标文件中告知供应商可以选择是否采取融资担保的形式为政府采购项目履约进行融资,并附上试点专业担保机构的联系方式。

5. Supervision and inspection

Finance departments shall strengthen the supervision and inspection over the implementation of this Plan by all parties to the pilot program, order purchasers, who refuse to accept letters of guarantee after communication and coordination, to make corrections, and may suspend the payment of procurement funds to those who refuse to do so. The said departments shall also urge procurement agencies that fail to carry out the pilot program in accordance with this Plan to make rectification, and may mete out appropriate administrative punishments against those falling under grave circumstances or those refusing to make corrections. In addition, the said departments shall urge specialized guarantee institutions in violation of this Plan to make corrections, and in the case of grave circumstances, disqualify them from the pilot program. Specialized guarantee institutions shall be liable for compensation if they have caused losses to purchasers or suppliers. Moreover, finance departments shall promptly deal with government procurement suppliers that have violated regulations pursuant to the law. Disputes between and among specialized guarantee institutions and suppliers shall be resolved in accordance with applicable laws.

       五、监督检查

    财政部门要加强对试点各方当事人落实本方案要求情况的监督检查,对经沟通协调后仍拒不接受担保函的采购人,应当责令其改正,拒不改正的,可以暂停支付采购资金;对不按本方案要求开展试点工作的采购代理机构,应当督促改正,情节严重或拒不改正的,可以给予适当的行政处理;对违反本方案规定的专业担保机构,应当督促改正,情节严重的,取消试点资格,给采购人或供应商造成损失的,应当给予赔偿;对存在违规行为的政府采购供应商,应当及时依法作出处理。专业担保机构和供应商发生纠纷的,按有关法律处理。