ADB’s ACSR Bunting Conductor: Chinese firm urges authorities to reevaluate tender

ISLAMABAD: Chinese firm M/s Henan Tonga-Da Cable Co Ltd has urged Pakistani authorities to undertake reevaluation of ADB’s ACSR Bunting Conductor for 500kV Double Circuit Ouad Bundle Transmission Line from Sangal to 500 kV Maira switching station.

In letters to Pakistani authorities and Chinese ambassador to Pakistan, the company’s Regional Sales Director Dylon Wong has sought intervention in this matter as according to the firm, distorted facts have been shared with the Senate Standing Committee on Power.

The company has also expressed its surprise on withdrawal of minutes of standing committee meeting on instructions from some “influential” personality in Senate. Chairman Standing Committee has refused to withdraw minutes.

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According to the company its letter is with reference to the subject NTDC tender which has been marred by some serious issues related to wrong bids evaluation as well as non-redressal of grievances on part of NTDC and NESPAK “due to reasons beyond our understanding and only best known to them.”

“Such unprecedented statement and surprising withdrawal instructions by Senate clearly reflects some humongous mafia supporting this cause which perhaps is afraid of all these facts coming to light and does really not want this contract award decision to be overturned from Newage to Henan Tong-Da, as they know that Newage was given wrong domestic preference by NESPAK and NTDC,” Wang said, adding that in case of any investigation or re-evaluation of the contents of Newage bid, the recommendation of contract award will easily be over-turned.

ADB being the project’s financing authority, understands official as well as moral obligations to seek complete report from NTDC and NESPAK and can clearly ask whether or not Newage had any domestic preference calculations in support of domestic value addition claim or not.

“The ADB must ask NTDC and NESPAK whether Newage stands eligible for the domestic preference claim in light of “ADB Domestic Preference Guidance Note on Procurement - June 2018” as this has been declared as the reference document by ADB as well as NTDC/NESPAK in response to its pre-bid clarifications for the upcoming ADB-401C-2022 tender,” he maintained.

Chinese company has once again reiterated its claim that Newage Cables Lahore does not fulfill the technical and manufacturing criteria (Sub-Clause 2.3.2(i) of Section-3 of ADB-4018 tender) as it clearly demands the bidders to have at least 5 years manufacturing experience of similar goods having similar or higher rating and capacity; and Newage has manufactured ACSR Rail Conductor as the biggest conductor so far which is lower in capacity than ACSR Bunting Conductor hence Newage does not even qualify Sub-Clause 2.3.2(i).

The company further stated that Newage also does not fulfill the domestic preference criteria (appendix-2: domestic preference by application of price margin, ADB domestic preference guidance note on procurement - June 2018).

Chinese company urged all concerned authorities to intervene in this matter and ask NTDC/NESPAK to reevaluate the tender in light of the facts revealed e as well as ADB Domestic Preference Guidance Note on procurement-2018, otherwise no international bidder will participate in any NTDC tender in future due to lack of interest of the authorities in fairness and transparency in the bidding process.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023