Plans by the Omani government to rope in the private sector in the development and operation of a drug rehabilitation centre in Suhar on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis continue to make headway.
On Sunday, the Ministry of Finance – which is overseeing an ambitious and well-diversified PPP programme on behalf of the government – issued a Request for Proposals from suitably qualified companies operating in the healthcare services sector to bid for its license to build and operate the facility in the Wilayat of Suhar in North Al Batinah Governorate.
The proposed Taafi Suhar Centre is envisaged to be a modern de-addiction and rehabilitation facility designed to enable users of narcotics and psychotropic substances to reintegrate back into the society. The Ministry of Finance is overseeing the procurement of the PPP based project in coordination with the Ministry of Health. The longer-term goal is to establish the facility as a Centre of Excellence for drug rehab services in the Sultanate of Oman.
According the Finance Ministry, the selected developer will be granted a long-term contract for the Design, Build, Finance, Operation and Maintenance (DBFOM) the Taafi Suhar Centre. It will include a provision for the expansion of the complex as well at some point in the future.
Sunday’s Request for Proposals (RfP) builds on an Expression of Interest (EoI) issued by the Ministry of Finance that elicited a significant number of responses from private sector developers registering their interest in bidding for the competitive PPP based tender.
Interested bidders must have proven experience in the development and operation of at least two centres set up on a PPP model and dedicated to detoxification and rehabilitation services. They have until April 13, 2023 to submit their firm offers.
A London-based PPP advisory practice specialising in healthcare, among other sectors, says it has been retained by the Ministry as its Lead Transaction PPP Advisor for the Al Taafi Suhar PPP initiative. The latter is working with a number of subject matter experts in psychiatry and drug addiction, as well as architectural and legal consultants, to support the Ministry in the successful procurement and delivery of the drug rehab project.
Significantly, PPP-based projects and initiatives are expected to take off in a big way during 2023. As part of Oman’s 2023 State General Budget, the Ministry of Finance unveiled a sizable portfolio of projects and initiatives for implementation under the PPP programme during the year. Proposals listed in the Budget for development via the PPP route span the Education, Health, Transport & Logistics, Communications & IT, Fisheries, and Infrastructure sectors.
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