San Andrés water concession bidding slips

Colombia's public services regulator (Superservicios) has delayed the bidding deadline to April 28 from end-February for a concession to provide waterworks service in the island department of San Andrés, a Superservicios official confirmed to BNamericas. The government entity changed the date because, while companies had bought bidding rules for the contract, none presented offers by the end-February deadline, said the official, elaborating on an article in newspaper El Heraldo. And, according to the paper, the government has decided to increase its financial commitment to the project to 21bn pesos (US$8.9mn) from 16bn pesos. In addition to opening bids, the government will award the contract April 28. The San Andrés islands are in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Nicaragua. Some 57,000 residents live on the islands whose livelihood comes primarily from tourism. Potable water coverage reaches 92% and sewerage coverage 20%. Planners expect a concessionaire to improve drinking water services, considering current water is unfit for drinking. "We are optimists, so we believe that in two years all this mess will have been resolved," the paper cited presidential adviser Juan Guillermo Angel as saying.