Procuring ships and tankers: TI points out violation of rules by PNSC
Claims procurements of one Aframax Tanker and one LR1 Product Tanker made under negotiated tendering.
Claims procurements of one Aframax Tanker and one LR1 Product Tanker made under negotiated tendering. PHOTO: FILE
Transparency International (TI) Pakistan has directed the ports and shipping ministry’s attention to violation of rules by Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) in procuring ships and tankers.
“The TI Pakistan has received a complaint that PNSC has been consistently violating Public Procurement Rules 2004 since last 9 years in PNSC Procurement of Ships/Tankers by doing negotiated tendering,” says a letter dated March 25.
It says that even the current procurements of one Aframax Tanker at cost of US$ 21 million and one LR1 Product Tanker at cost of US$ 21 million are being made under negotiated tendering.
Quoting the PPRA Rule 42(d), the TI Chairman Sohail Muzaffar argues that it is not allowed to procure old and new ships and tankers on negotiated tendering.
It says that if the procedure is allowed by the PPRA and NAB, then the same will be used by other government organisations, including PIA, Railways, KPT and Wapda, etc.
“TI Pakistan requests the secretary and the principal accounting officer to kindly examine the complaint, and if the allegations are found correct, kindly direct the PNSC to retender the current procurement of 2 tankers in accordance with PPRA Rules,” the letter reads.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 26th, 2014.