11.1 Procurement and Contracting Policy

The Procurement and Contracting Policy of the Central Bank of Chile establishes the conditions and processes for purchasing goods and contracting services from external suppliers.

The planning and execution of these processes must ensure compliance with the principles of transparency, equal opportunity for suppliers, strict adherence to the bidding terms, absence of arbitrary discrimination, efficiency, objectivity, and publicity.

Relations with suppliers and contractors are centralized in the Procurement Department, so as to promote open and collective interactions with all suppliers and thus to guarantee broad participation in transparent and clear processes.

The Central Bank has improved its processes, requiring that all suppliers—both internally and externally—emphasize sustainability in the services they provide. It is in the Bank’s interest to generate the least environmental, economic, and social impact. Suppliers are therefore required to ensure the following:

• Removal of debris and waste by a company that will dispose of the materials in a facility authorized by the health authority.
• The use of environmentally friendly, nontoxic chemical inputs in the provision of cleaning, gardening, and food services.
• Verification of the payment of social security benefits through certification by the Ministry of the Interior (F30-1).
• Verification of the contractor’s affiliation with a mutual insurance company, as well as the presence of a risk prevention expert in the case of higher-risk activities.

The Procurement and Contracting Policy was updated and published in the period.

11.2 Contracts in 2018

The Bank’s operations necessitate the use of specialized suppliers for a range of different products and services. Furthermore, the Bank is subject to the provisions in its Basic Constitutional Act governing the periodic release of information on the fulfillment of its public duties.

In this context, this report discloses the main administrative contracts signed by the Bank in 2018 for an amount over Ch$180 million, which are related to the supply of goods and services that allow the institution to operate normally (table 11.1).

Given the nature of collaborative work, synergies are built with suppliers who annually provide consultant services, surveys, research, and seminars (table 11.2).