Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Apart from refusing to release an advance payment for nine mobile uplink backpack transmitters and associated equipment from MITCO, the Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) has asked the company to give a discount on the tendered items, the company said on Tuesday.

The contract was awarded on February 12, 2016 after the company met the specifications of the equipment required. Based on the purchase order and authority letter by the PTV, MITCO was issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) from PEMRA for the import of the equipment.

Now, MITCO is awaiting an advance payment so it can deliver the already-imported equipment based on the terms of the quotation.

According to a statement issued by the company, the PTV is asking for a discount. MITCO asked for an advance based on the terms of the quotation, vide a letter dated January 14. MITCO signed the “integrity pact” as required by Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) Rules on February 15. Then MITCO asked the PTV for an authority letter for PEMRA’s NOC on February 24, which was subsequently issued on March 9.

The company stated, “The PTV claim that MITCO has quoted more than the market prices is also not valid, as the only reference PTV has for the TVU Networks [Corporation’s] pricing is the competing quotation of the first tender, and MITCO has quoted 15% less despite [an] increase of USD (US dollar) value and customs duties.”

Earlier, the PTV issued a tender notice for nine mobile uplink backpack transmitters and associated equipment in April 2015. MITCO quoted for TM-8100 model units of TVU Networks, where as another vendor quoted TM-8200 model units of TVU Networks at Rs 3,000,000 each. Hence, MITCO was awarded the contract based on low price. The PTV needed more units, and contacted MITCO for a repeat order. The TM-8100 model was not being produced anymore at that time, so MITCO recommended TM-8200, a model of similar features but newer and better hardware specifications.

The PTV issued a tender for ten TM-8200 units in November 2015. On this, MITCO quoted Rs 2,550,000 for each TM-8200 backpack – which was around 15% less than the price quoted by another vendor in the earlier tender – despite an increase in the price of US dollar and customs duty. Based on earlier delay in payments, MITCO had also asked for 50% advance in the quotation. The company also submitted the required ‘earnest money’ for the tender.