RIYADH, Apr 13 (Arab News): The Saudi finance ministry has launched an online service to handle claims from contractors and suppliers.
The "Etimad" platform was established in partnership with the National Centre for Government Resource Systems (NCGR), the Saudi News Agency reported.
It means that contractors and suppliers from the private sector can submit their financial claims directly to government agencies, CEO of the NCGR, Ahmed Alsuwaiyan, the CEO of NCGR said.
Major construction projects typically produce a number of contractual claims triggered by unanticipated circumstances, variations to original designs and a number of other factors caused by the client, contractor or both.
The finance ministry said this new platform would allow projects to be implemented in a transparent and efficient way.
It comes as the Saudi government encourages more private sector companies to get involved with major projects planned across the Kingdom.
Meanwhile, Almunajem Foods, one of Saudi Arabia's largest private food companies, has reported a successful 2020 and is maintaining a positive outlook for 2021, despite the coronavirus pandemic continuing to affect the economy on a global scale.
The company, which has more than 70 years of experience in the Saudi food market, serves more than 22,000 customer outlets including retail, food services and wholesale channels. Their expertise lies in importation, marketing and the distribution of frozen, chilled and dry foodstuffs.
Almunajem operates 14 branches, 12 of which are equipped with temperature-controlled warehouses. They also work with more than 60 suppliers, and brands under the company's umbrella include household names such as Coopoliva olives, President dairy products and their own in-house brand, Dari.
Thamer Abanumay, CEO of Almunajem Foods, told Arab News that business was flourishing despite the setbacks posed by the pandemic in 2020 and said the company had managed to minimise interruption of services.
"Our business was put to the test in 2020, but I can confidently say that on all fronts we performed exceptionally. Our operations maintained a high level of resilience despite the obstacles caused by Covid-19. Thanks to our strong logistical abilities, backed by technology, data and tools, we were able to move our products safely and in a timely manner," he said.