Air Tanzania to restart Sh13 billion tender at JNIA's Terminal 3
What you need to know:
The decision follows an appeal filed by Ms VIA Aviation JV with National Aviation who claimed the national carrier bent rules to award the tender
Dar es Salaam. The Public Procurement Appeals Authority (PPAA) has blocked the intended award of a $5.7 million (about Sh13 billion) tender to run business lounges at Terminal III of the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) over flaws in evaluation of bidders.
PPAA ordered Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) to restart the tender process, saying there was no sufficient evidence that Tourvest Holding Limited, the company that won the tender, had the required experience to carry out the work.
The decision follows an appeal filed by Ms VIA Aviation JV with National Aviation who claimed the national carrier bent rules to award the tender to a company that allegedly lacked experience.
“It is the authority’s conclusion that the award to the proposed bidder is not proper in law. We hereby nullify the intended award. The respondent (ATCL) is ordered to re-start the tender process in accordance with the law,” said PPAA panel chaired by retired justice Sauda Mjasiri.
Yesterday, ATCL managing director Ladislaus Matindi declined to comment on the development, saying any comment from him at this stage could jeopardise some actions.
“Ethically, I cannot give any comment. Any comment from me will have the effect of being advantageous or disadvantageous to us or to those who participated in the tender,” said Mr Matindi. ATCL floated in December last year the multi-billion tender for design, develop, supply, develop and operate business lounges at JNIA.
Ms VIA Aviation’s tender was disqualified during preliminary evaluation over failure to submit Tax Clearance Certificate.
Dissatisfied with the exclusion, the company filed for administrative review of the decision by ATCL but lost the case.
The company advanced to PPAA, arguing that its failure to submit tax clearance certificate was not fatal omission to warrant disqualification at the preliminary stage.
It’s further contention that ATCL intended to award the tender to a company which lacked experience despite having quoted a higher price.
