KARACHI: Transparency International Pakistan (TIP) has objected on Sindh Police’s tailor-made tender for a Vehicle Tracking System (VTS) and stated it is exclusively designed to favor only one company.
TIP has written a letter to the Inspector General Sindh Police A. D. Khawaja regarding a received complaint that Sindh Police has invited tenders in August 2016 for the supply of VTS for 4000 vehicles.
“The tender documents were tailor made only for one pre-selected company, M/s Trakker Pakistan Private Limited,” stated the letter. According to the complainant, the tender documents have been prepared in such a way that only one company M/s Trakker Pakistan Private Limited can qualify.
The said company was also awarded the previous contract in a disputed manner by former IG Sindh. There are Restrictive Conditions in the tender in favor of the said company for example the Company shall have over 50,000 customers’ vehicles and the minimum annual turnover of the company shall be Rs 300 million.
The TIP reflected on the complaint and found that when 4,000 Tacking devices are being procured only the operation of minimum 50,000 vehicles, which is 1200 percent, it is condition set to restrict competition, therefore, double i.e. 8000 vehicles experience, was enough.
“The annual expenses of 4,000 tracking is approx Rs 50 million, twice of the annual turnover times was enough i.e. Rs. 100 million, imposing a Rs 300 million restriction has been specified to favoring only one company,” stated TIP.
The Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (SPPRA) Rule states: Specifications shall allow the widest possible competition and shall not favor any single contractor or supplier nor put others at a disadvantage; no procuring agency shall introduce any condition which discriminates among bidders.
Also, the M/s Trakker Pakistan Ltd. has a history of monopolizing Vehicle Tracking Services (VTS) i.e. in the FBR it has managed to remain the only company with Custom Transit Cargo Tacking License for the past 5 years.
The TIP also urged the IGP Sindh not to allow this procurement to occur and discharge the tenders, and it should be re invited with open specifications. It should be noted that National Accountability Bureau (NAB) vide its letter No 5-2(75) Pre/A&P/NABHQ/2013 notified that mis-procurement is liable for cognizance by the NAB under relevant section of NAO 1999.
On the other hand, the performance of M/s Trakker Pakistan has not been up to the mark. A report in September 2013 by the Commission appointed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan on the performance of M/s Trakker Pakistan disclosed that the Committee set-up by the FBR had already concluded vide report dated 02 August 2013 that the services of tracking company hired from the private sector (M/s TPL Trakker Private Limited) was not up to the mark and the required benefits of tracking system were not being obtained.”
The Inspector General Police’s Spokesman, Sohail Jukhio told Daily Times that “The tender of Vehicle Tracking System (VTS) for monitoring and tracking of 4000 vehicles was in process and not yet finalized. This particular tender was opened two weeks earlier and three companies have applied for it.”
He further informed that three companies including Falcon-i, V-Tracking, and Trakker Pakistan Private Limited participated in the bidding process. The Deputy Inspector General of Police Technical and Transport is evaluating the tender bids and it will take time to finalize the tender.” He said the Sindh police has not finalized that “Trakker Pakistan Private Limited” would obtain this particular tender.