VPRS 15994 Contract Register

This series comprises volumes called Contract Registers. They were created to document contract particulars.The Contract Registers provide a brief summary of contracts entered into by the Council for the provision of goods and services. Under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1874 and subsequent Local Government Acts and the Municipal Accounting Regulations, a local council could enter into contracts with individuals for the execution of any municipal works, or the furnishing of any goods by giving a notice in a newspaper expressing the purpose of the contract and inviting tender.The requirements for calling tenders does not apply to a contract entered into by a municipality with another municipality, a government department, or a statutory authority.Every contract is required to specify the work to be done, the material to be furnished, the price to be paid for the same, and a completion date.The Council is required to keep Contract Registers to record particulars of all the municipal contracts which include:- Contract number- Name of the contract- Description of work and account- Successful tender- Details of payments- Extra, deduction and deposits madeContracts recorded in the register are to be included in a statement of contracts which is incorporated in the Annual Statement of Accounts.The Contract Register is a subsidiary accounting record linked to the summary account contracts in the general fund ledgers which shows the liability of the council for contract work. It is also an important source of reference for the municipal engineer who is required to issue certificates to the Council to the effect that progress payments to contractors are justified by the state of the works. The Register is an important part of the system of internal checks on contract payments.These records have been identified as permanent under class 10.1.4 of the PROV's General Disposal Schedule for Local Government Records (PROS 98/01).