The state of affairs at Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) appears dubious as the port operator is carrying out maintenance dredging at the deeper-draft port on the basis of, what the sources claimed, ‘fictitious’ tender documents.
The port authorities across the globe are required to conduct maintenance dredging on annual basis especially after the rainy monsoon season that leads to siltation at the ports’ navigational channels the draught of which has to be maintained according to the size of the calling ships.
The GPA too, on Feb 10, invited financial proposals from the bidders to dredge the Gwadar port’s inner and outer channels, turning basin and berthing area, respectively, to the port’s designed level of 13.8, 14.4, 13.8 and 14.5 meters. In total the qualified dredging firm would have to carry out 1.5 million cubic meters dredging at the deep-sea port which has, by and large, been handling captive public sector cargo belonging mostly to the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP).
It was 2010, three years back, when last time maintenance dredging had been undertaken at the Gwadar port. Factors like inadequate government attention, inefficient operator, lack of business and the resultant scarcity of funds, the sources claimed, had rendered GPA unable to carry out regular annual maintenance dredging at the country’s third largest strategic seaport.
Even this time while the GPA is all out to clear the port’s navigational channel off siltation the Authority, the sources said, had prepared “fictitious” tender documents that give the GPA little or no leverage against the potential contractor.
“In case the contractor failed to complete the works within the time period stated in the contract, or such extended period as agreed to by the GPA, then the contractor shall pay to the GPA a sum equal to Rs 1 million per day for all days beyond the agreed completion period, subject to a maximum of 5 percent of the total contract price,” reads Clause 11 of the tender documents available with Pakistan Today.
The sources privy to the matter said the GPA had not put a termination clause in the document that, routinely, is enforced in case of the contractor’s failure to complete the work assigned. “That means contractor can carry out its work after accepting 5 percent penalty and the 95 percent of payment will be released even if the contractor failed to complete the job in given time,” they apprehended.
Having been setbacked in 2010, the sources recalled, at the hands of then dredging company, Ms MEW (PVT) LTD, the GPA should have been more cautious in issuing tender documents. “MEW in last (2010) dredging contract had left the work incomplete that had put the GPA on its toes running from pillar to post to get the work completely done,” they said.
Karachi Port Trust and Pakistan Navy, the sources said, had obliged the GPA through sending their dredgers, naming respectively TSH Mehmoodul Hassan and Behr Kusha, to carry out the required dredging at Gwadar port.
The sources recalled that the GPA had paid Ms MEW around Rs 350 million for the maintenance dredging project that was left incomplete at the end of the day. Further, what raised eyebrows about in the quarters concerned is the fact that the GPA drifted from the standard practice of holding a joint pre-bid meeting with all the bidders simultaneously. “Yes, they met every bidder separately that puts to question integrity of GPA’s Dredging Committee,” confirmed a bidder, requesting anonymity.
Moreover, the sources said, the GPA in the entire tender had not asked the bidders to detail specification of the dredger they would be employing after the award of contract.
“The firms are qualified on the basis of documents they provide for the pre-qualification but the GPA never has asked to provide position of the dredger at the time of bidding,” they added.
In addition, the sources said, the GPA was to clarify that acceptable hopper capacity of the dredger must be 5000 cbm or above to complete the job on time and to avoid litigation subsequently.
Also, the GPA had failed to mention in the tender documents that what should be the dumping distance of dredged material. “It must be written in the tender, so that the potential contractor could calculate the cost of fuel and time required for dumping,” said the sources.
Another sources went on to claim that the GPA had issued the tender as a “formality” and in fact had decided to award the millions of rupees contract again to a blue-eyed dredging firm, Ms MEW (Pvt) Limited. The company’s 1000cbm dredger, TSH Shahan, is said to have been anchored at Karachi Port’s mooring to be mobilized to Gwadar as soon as the GPA awards contract to the firm.
Despite repeated attempts of this reporter GPA chairman Dostain Jamaldini was not available for comments.
