The Gambia Public Procurement Authority (GPPA) has awarded the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) $3 million dollars election materials supply contract to the Canadian company ESI, Freedom Newspaper has been reliably informed. ESI has emerged as the most qualified bidder among the bidders, the GPPA evaluation team were said to have ruled. Smart Business Group, a local Gambian business, which had offered a lower cost for the project, was never considered in getting the contract.
ESI was formed following the fall of its primary company CODE. CODE was reported to have went bankrupt.
ESI has been doing business with the IEC over the years. It has been handling the IEC’s election material supplies in the past election cycles.
It would be recalled that the first bid was won by ESI. The GPPA says the bid wasn’t fairly done, as the IEC was accused of excluding local Gambian companies to take part in the bidding process.
Smart Business Group had earlier filed an objection to the bid, claiming that it was discriminatory for the IEC to exclude local businesses in such an important electoral bidding process.
The GPPA agreed and rescinded the bid that was awarded to ESI.
The IEC is expected to write to the unsuccessful bidders on Monday to inform them about the outcome of the tender.
Meanwhile, reports have it that one of the bidders Smart Business Group is likely going to file a protest appeal to the GPPA.
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