Serious issues’ over Santa Rosa project
Trinidad and Tobago
THE Office of the Procurement Regulator (OPR) has said that a response from The Housing Development Corporation (HDC) is warranted over the “serious issues” with respect to the tendering process for the Santa Rosa housing project, which required further ventilation during the challenge proceedings.
In a document posted on its website dated August 22, the OPR explained its order, dated August 16, from the hearing panel to suspend the procurement proceedings for the project effective August 16, until the hearing and determination of the challenge proceeding or until further ordered.
NH International (Caribbean) Ltd had submitted an application to the OPR to review the tendering process, as it claimed there was need for an investigation into HDC’s proposed move to award China Harbour Engineering Company (T&T) Ltd the contract with their bid of $475.8 million.
NH International (Caribbean) Ltd had submitted a bid for $259.6 million. Other companies had also submitted lower bids.
On August 16, the HDC stated that it had cancelled the procurement process for the Santa Rosa Housing project.
The move came after requests were made by two companies to the OPR for an investigation.
HDC’s managing director Jayselle McFarlane issued a letter on August 16 informing proponents that the procurement process, which started in January this year, had been cancelled because the HDC decided not to proceed with the project at this time.
The letter, dated August 16, stated as follows:
No explanations
“Notice is hereby given pursuant to Part C paragraph VIII of the RFP for the Provision of Design Build Services at the HDC’s Santa Rosa Housing Development Project Package 1 and Section 33 of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Act, 2015 (as amended) that the Trinidad and Tobago Housing Development Corporation (HDC) has decided to cancel the procurement process initiated by the RFP dated 26 January 2024 including the Notice of Intention to Award dated 30 July 2024 for the reason that the HDC has taken a decision not to proceed with the project at this time.”
No explanations were given for why the HDC took this decision, which came days after it had issued a release defending the process and stating that technical independent experts were utilised
According to the document on the OPR’s website, on this same day, August 16, the hearing panel, composed of chairman Tracey Rojas and members Herdis Lee Chee and David Charlerie, ordered that the tendering process for the project be suspended, pending the OPR’s review.
In the document, the panel asked whether there were a serious issue to be tried, and noted that they considered the stated facts, the grounds for review, as well as the supporting documents provided by the applicant (NH International) which included the technical evaluation report for both the applicant and the successful proponent (Chinese company).
The panel stated that it gave significant consideration to the technical evaluation report for the successful proponent.
They noted that the Request for Proposal (“RFP”), dated January 26, at page 9 advised proponents that in the evaluation of the Technical Proposal, “Proponents must achieve no less than the minimum score for each section of the proposal”.
“Upon review of the technical evaluation reports for the successful proponent, it appears that the successful proponent did not receive at least the minimum score for all technical sections. The importance of achieving at least the minimum score for all technical sections was further amplified by the fact that proponents were advised in the RFP that ‘where the proponent has successfully achieved or surpassed the sectional and overall minimum scores, the commercial proposal may now be evaluated’. It thus raises the question of whether the successful proponent met the technical requirements which was (sic) necessary to progress to evaluation of its commercial proposal,” stated the panel.
image pexels-pixabay-358636