Standard Clause in Public Sector Contracts to Appoint Singapore Mediation Centre as Sole Mediation Agency

48 Prof Fatimah Lateef asked the Minister for Law whether there will be a review of the standard clause in all public sector and public service contracts to appoint the Singapore Mediation Centre as the sole mediation agency, to align with the evolution of more mediation agencies providing mediation services in Singapore.

Mr K Shanmugam: The Government standard form contracts provide various dispute resolution options for the resolution of disputes, including mediation. The standard forms for procurement tenders provide for both the Singapore Mediation Centre (SMC) and the Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC) as mediation agencies. The latter is included specifically for procurement tenders involving an international element.

However, public sector agencies are not constrained from choosing other mediation institutions where appropriate. Public sector agencies have the flexibility to amend the standard forms accordingly to meet the specific operational needs of the intended contract, including taking into consideration the mediation centres with the relevant expertise on the subject matter of the contract and the locality and bargaining power of the parties.