Direction The General Department of Public Procurement (DGCP) ordered the Social Security Fund (CSS) suspended the bidding process by which it wanted to conclude a contract for the collection and treatment of hospital waste in its facilities for the next 5 years and for 58.7 million dollars.
In addition, DGCP asked CSS make corrections in the tender documentation to determine that there were conditions or requirements that limit free market competition or that may favor a certain economic group.
The suspension of the competition occurs after A multi-service company he was able to accept the claim against the statement of objections due to the determination of requirements that put his offer in a disadvantageous position, one of which is the requirement that the only way of processing garbage is incineration. The specifications even required companies to have an incinerator in order to compete.
Order DGCP appears on the same day as CSS has set a date for the presentation of proposals.
This bidding process raised doubts among approval act when three companies warned of irregularities. These companies described it as restrictive or restricting free competition. This is because the treatment method was reserved only for the waste incineration alternative, which benefited the three companies that had already shown interest in the job.
The companies also said at the time that there was no quantity information the garbage generated by the CSS entity, and much less than the frequency required for this service. Key elements for defining operation costs.
Weeks later CSS published market report based on the prices of the company that controlled this business and wants to compete for this new contract.
The STI company also warned that there is a marked difference in the number of kilograms compared to the number of requested vehicles in the number of requested vehicles by sector or line. He pointed out that in the case of Panama Oeste and Coclé Where less waste must be generated, 5 vehicles are required, while in other provinces that generate more waste, only 2 vehicles are required.
On its part, City cleaning company He questioned the lack of information detailing the frequency of the collection service, as it was not known whether the operation had to take place Monday to Friday or Monday to Saturday, including Sunday.
In the act of approving the tender documentation, 16 companies interested in this contract were presented, among them already known companies that caused controversy in other contracts. Among these companies is Pumper, which controlled the business of hospital waste in Ministry of Health since the era of Juan Carlos Varela through direct contracting and triangulation Administration for Social Assistance (DAS).
The job saved him in that as well Government. It’s the same company who had the job of burning drugs seized by the security forces, and then controlled Rolando Picuiro López.
Another one of the companies that wants to take over the business is Incineration Technological Services (STI) of businessman Juan David Morgan, who also under Varela took over the job of burning international trash at Tocumen Airport. At the time, the airport manager, Joseph Fidanque, openly admitted that he outsourced the job directly to his friend Juan David Morgan, which led him to resign from the position amid conflict-of-interest allegations before the Attorney General’s Office.
It also appears in a list of those who want a CSS jobtwo companies that made up the Eco Limba consortium, associated with businessman Omar Otorola, which the government of Laurentino Cortiz sought to directly award the contract to manage the Cerro Patacón landfill. But in the middle of the announcement, negotiations broke down and Otorola abandoned the commitment without submitting a claim.
Now Otorola appears again with his company Eco thermos from Panama compete for the CSS contract.
He is in the same list of interested parties the company Chisti gradwhich was part of the Eco Limp consortium that could not finish Cerro Patacón contract.
Source: Panama America
I am Jason Root, author with 24 Instant News. I specialize in the Economy section, and have been writing for this sector for the past three years. My work focuses on the latest economic developments around the world and how these developments impact businesses and people’s lives. I also write about current trends in economics, business strategies and investments.
