The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), in violation of Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) Rules 2004, is favouring a single party, in processing and award of contract of dry ice plant on BOT/joint venture basis.
Chairman of the Advisory Committee of Transparency International Pakistan, Syed Adil Gilani, in a letter sent to Captain Nadeem Khan Yousufzai, Managing Director, PIA, has informed him that a complaint has been received in this regard, and in case the project has been awarded by PIA, evaluation report and contract agreement may be provided to Transparency International Pakistan, under Rule No 48.
Earlier, in October last year also, Transparency International Pakistan had highlighted PIA's tendering manipulation by shortening the mandatory time of tender from 30 days to 15 days. PIA had also failed to provide a set of complete tender documents, including draft contract agreement.
Gilani said in his letter that the information is being forwarded to avoid mis-procurement charge under Rule No 50, and re-invite the tender, based on the procedures prescribed by PPRA Rules 2004. Gilani had earlier pointed out that the Expression of Interest to set up the plant, available on PIA website, lacked transparency and violated PPRA Rules.
In Rule No 13, response time for international tender is minimum 30 days, whereas PIA has allowed 15 days, violating tender period by shortening it by 15 days. Although normally the bids are to be valid for 90 days, or 120 days, but in this procurement PIA has asked for 180 days validity, but the tender period has been shortened by 100 percent time.
The other vital violation, committed by PIA, is that of Rule No 23, which requires PIA to provide a set of complete tender documents, comprising of 12-13 documents, including draft contract agreement. PPRA had also requested PIA for comprehensive report/comments on the contents of the complaint. The information had been called under the powers vested in the Authority under section 5(2)(i) of PPRA Ordinance, 2002.