ISLAMABAD  -  After a healthy competition in a transparent manner, Chinese-Led joint venture secured all four packages of the trance-III of the Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Corridor Project—saving a total amount of Rs13.24 billion.

The joint venture was led by the Chinese firm M/s Ningxia Communications Construction while M/s Rustam Associates and M/s Dynamic Constructors are its local partners.

It is pertinent to mention here that certain bidders tried their best to sabotage the procurement process and grievance redressal committee was also approached to stop the opening of financial bids but without having any justification behind their request.

However, the incumbent management of the National Highway Authority in line with the vision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ensured transparency and after properly addressing aforementioned grievances decided to open the financial bids without expelling any of the bidders just on the wish of key players.

It is evident from the record that the decision on part of NHA’s incumbent management not only saved Rs13.24 billion but a timely completion of procurement process saves much more than this amount.

Interestingly, M/s China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Group which has filed a grievance against M/s Ningxia Communications Construction could not even remain at second lowest position and its financial bids were too high.

Well-placed sources informed that a group of bidders wanted to exclude the M/s NXCC-led JV from the process by maneuvering the system to avoid healthy competition but the management stood against the pressure and ensured the proper competition.

According to financial evaluation of bids, the NXCC-Led JV wins all the four contracts with a clear margin as the difference between first and second lowest bidder for lot-1, lot-2, lot-3 and lot-4 was Rs1.4 billion, Rs2.4 billion, Rs2.3 billion and Rs7.1 billion respectively.

The project is being funded by the Asian Development Bank and concerned officers informed that its management has also appreciated the NHA’s management for holding healthy competition and saving billions of rupees.

The tranche-III comprised 4 lots for which technical and financial proposals were sought independently from reputable construction firms and a total of 20 firms had submitted their bids against this project.     

Under tranche-III, an additional carriageway would be built on N-55 between Rajhanpur-DG Khan and DI Khan in which a two lane highway would be converted into a four lane highway.

It is pertinent to mention here that NHA is already executing CAREC tranche-I and trance-II. The tranche-I includes a 66.37km long section-I between Petaro-Sehawan and a 43.4km long section-II between Ratodero-Shikarpur.

The section-I between Petaro-Sehawan is being built by M/s Xinjiang Beixin Road and Bridge Group, which is substantially completed with 98 percent progress while section-II between Ratodero-Shikarpur is 43 percent completed, which is being constructed by a joint venture of M/s TIEC and Umer Jan.

The tranche-II of the CAREC also have four lots including 62.42km long lot-1 between Shikarpur-Kandhkot, 58.78km long being constructed by M/s ZKB with 14 percent progress, 58.78km long lot-2 between Kandhkot-Kashmore being constructed by M/s CCECC with 16 percent progress, 48.90km long lot-3 between Kashmore-Rojhan being constructed by M/s ZKB with 23 percent progress and 51.85km long lot-3 between Rojhan to Rajanpur being constructed by M/s ZKB with 20 percent progress.