By Our Investigation Correspondent
ISLAMABAD: A renowned foreign company has approached the Managing Director of
Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) to thoroughly investigate the incompetence and alleged corruption in award of a tender to supply low quality plug walves for pressure gas pipelines, it was learnt on Wednesday.
Foreign firm, Galli and Cassina in a letter to MD PPRA says, “We have observed technical evaluation report no. PUR-43 (P) dated 22.08.2022 uploaded on PPRA website for subject tender and it is extremely shocking to see again the controversial approval of incompetent bidder M/s. ARFLU, Spain even in existence of several technical deficiencies in their plug valves”.
The letter added instead of having Spanish origin, plug valves of M/s. ARFLU are being manufactured at substandard Chinese facility. The documentary evidence in the form of pictures was presented at Grievance Redressal Meeting of SND-2192/21 (Plug Valves) but that evidence was deliberately ignored, it pointed out The PPRA was told M/s. ARFLU, Spain was rejected by SNGPL’s Project department in a couple of tenders specifically in tender no. SN-4102/20 due to submission of fire safe certificates of plug valves issued by Chinese Authority which proves their china made production. The letter further highlighted project department has declared said bidder incompetent as well, due to non-compatibility of their plug valves with high pressure gas pipeline network rather these valves are only designed for small industrial level. Furthermore, SNGPL has placed a purchase order again to Arflu Spain against SNGPL tender enquiry SND-2277/21 despite having acute shortage of funds and without revalidating the technical evaluation of ARFLU’s offer as w
ell as cross verifying their sales reference or asking them to provide the shipping documents so that their credibility can be judged.
The company concluded that the procurement process of plug valves is a clear violation of PPRA rule no 4. It is requested to please direct SNGPL to cancel bids of SNGPL tender enquiries SND-2277/21 to save the Government of Pakistan from a huge loss by procuring substandard equipment from an incompetent supplier and review the technical evaluation of SND2315/22 where Arflu has been technically approved for plug valves without any prior investigation.
