Corrupt foreign debarred firms: PPRA urged to follow current list of World Bank and ADB

Transparency International Pakistan has suggested to the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) that the debarred firms of Turkey, China and Canada be debarred in Pakistan as well on the Cross Debarment basis. In a letter sent to Managing Director, PPRA, Mrs Nazrat Bashir on May 23, Chairman, TI-Pakistan, Sohail Muzaffar while referring to the deliberations held with her by Adviser, TI-Pakistan, Syed Adil Gilani on the subject immediate action is required by the PPRA.
The current debar list of World Bank (WB), he said, comprises 17 Chinese firms, seven Turkish firms and one Canadian firm. "As various Chinese and Turkish firms are working in Pakistan, it is necessary to disallow these firms which have been proved to have committed corrupt practices in the Asian Development Bank (ADB) projects, and are facing penalties ranging from two years to10 years."
According to the procurement practice, if one firm is declared corrupt by any International Financial Institution (IFI), the other IFIs debar the firm on Cross Debarment basis. In the World Bank list of debarred firms, some are debarred by the ADB, and WB has also debarred them on Cross Debarment basis There is a controversy going on that Airports Development Authority (ADA) has awarded the BB airport Islamabad to a Chinese firm debarred by World Bank, which is causing embarrassment to all, he said.
The Managing Director has been requested to immediately debar all firms debarred by the ADB and WB on the Cross Debarment basis The copy of the letter has been forwarded for the information with the request to take action under their mandate to: Chairman, NAB, Islamabad.