Panama close to awarding first highway PPP contract

The awarding of Panama's first highway PPP is going ahead, as a second complaint against the company obtaining the highest score in the bidding process was dismissed.

Intervial Chile, a subsidiary of Colombia’s ISA, won the US$283mn contract to upgrade, operate and maintain a 247km section of the Pan-American east highway between Las Garzas de Pacora and Yaviza in August after the assessment committee awarded its proposal the highest score.

The PPP head of the public works ministry (MOP), Ramon Adames, told BNamericas that the public procurement department (DGCP) replied to the false-information claims Consorcio Corredor del Istmo made against Intervial Chile at the end of October.

“It has been answered by the department and we should be awarding the contract this month,” he said.

On November 14, DGCP mandated the ministry to archive the claims and continue the awarding process.  

A previous complaint against Intervial Chile was filed by Strabag, which requested an administrative inquiry into fraud allegations, but the case was archived.  

“We would be proud to put our experience at the service of Panama, contributing to a sector which is key for the country’s development,” ISA’s road planning and business director, Natalia Pineda, told daily Estrella de Panamá.  

Pineda said Strabag’s claims were based on misinterpretations. 

“Their request has no details on the document that is supposedly false. Therefore, Strabag’s request does not contain accusations of falsity related to documents presented by Intervial Chile,” she added. 

“[Strabag] is having a different interpretation of what the bases establish, but on which MOP has been clear since the prequalification process started and with respect to what the assessment committees and the procurement department have issued,” she said.