1. Introduction

Risk is part of every human endeavor. From the moment we get up in the morning, drive or take public transportation to get to school or to work until we get back into our beds (and perhaps even afterward), we are exposed to risks of different degrees. What makes the study of risk fascinating is that while some of this risk-bearing may not be completely voluntary, we seek out some risks on our own (speeding on the highways or gambling, for instance) and enjoy them. While some of these risks may seem trivial, others make a significant difference in the way we live our lives.

Government contract placing is not left to the whim of the individual power holders at the various hierarchies of the government structure. What officials of the government do with the public expenditure should be transparent, and those wielding the power should be accountable to the general public for each and every activity that they do and have it done on behalf of the public. In order to promote efficiency and value-for-money, effectiveness, transparency and probity in the process of government contract formation and to make officials involved in public procurement processes accountable, and thereby curb wide and expansive corrupt practices in their territories, governments have been trying hard to come up with the best possible modern procurement rules. However, irregularities still face almost all public contracts awarding particularly when it is for public construction project. The finding shows that the effects of irregularities in public contract awarding are 1) keeping a public contract awarding with arithmetic error correction when such irregularities are insignificant, 2) reviewing and setting aside a public contract awarding when such irregularities are significant and can affect the outcome of the procurement, 3) avoiding a public contract awarding at all when it is unlawful, 4) disputes between procuring entity and bidders, and 5) civil, administrative and disciplinary, and criminal Liabilities against an employee of procuring entity and/or bidders.

Arbitration has been a prevalent method of dispute settlement, in various countries of the world of today and yesterday. Arbitration is defined in the Black’s Law Dictionary as “a method of dispute resolution involving one or more neutral third party who the disputing parties usually agree to and whose decision is binding.”