The National Development Bank (BNF) awarded more than G. 6 billion to the company Paraguay Security SA, which has a background disqualification and has already had a contract annulled by the National Directorate of Public Procurement (DNCP). ).
Under the category of “Military and Security Equipment. Security and Surveillance Service”, for the type of National Public Tender procedure, the company Paraguay Security SA was awarded by the BNF for the amount of G. 6,099,999,984.
Only one item was awarded by the institution and it is the private security service. Four more companies responded to the call: Organization Watchman SRL Security Intelligence and Technology of Paraguay SA (SIT), Tapiti SRL and Vigilancia Sociedad Anónima. Among all the companies mentioned, the firm with the lowest price was Paraguay Security SA
Taking into account the million-dollar award to the aforementioned company, accessing the public documents within the DNCP shows the history of awards for the firm Paraguay Security SA and within it, it was possible to corroborate the comparative variation of the prices of the bidder for the same services performed to other institutions for the same services.
Apart from the award of the BNF, the company Paraguay Security participated in a call for tenders issued by the National Telecommunications Commission (Conatel), during December 2021, in which the convener, by G. 1,898,999,988 requested the security service and surveillance, under the same category as the BNF.
For Conatel, 10 items were awarded, with the request for security and surveillance for various cities. The difference between the two offers is more than G. 5 billion and Conatel requested more services and equipment.
Another award was made for a much lower amount in November 2021, through a call for bids issued by the Faculty of Chemical Sciences of the National University of Asunción. The request for the service was again for security and surveillance, for the same repeated category, but this time it was awarded about G. 569,850,000, for a single item, with the same catalogs requested by the BNF.
The El Independiente team tried to communicate with the Paraguay Security company through the only low-line contact published on the DNCP portal, but the number constantly dialed busy and remained that way throughout the day. Likewise, we tried to contact the person in charge of the BNF’s Contracting Operations Unit (UOC), Carolina Auada, but they informed us that she is in isolation due to a Covid-19 infection.
Likewise, from the entity they stressed that no one else is available to answer some questions regarding the award process because a massive contagion was registered in the contracting department and many officials had to go into isolation.
BACKGROUND
The company Paraguay Security SA already has a disqualification applied by the DNCP. The reason given by the management was that “the supplier has failed to comply with its contractual obligations for reasons attributable to it and as a consequence, damages or losses have been caused to the contracting institution.”
Although a disqualification can be registered for a certain period of time and once it is lifted, the affected firm can participate in tenders again, this already constitutes a precedent for future processes carried out, according to the DNCP itself.
On the other hand, an aspect that cannot fail to be mentioned is that the firm Paraguay Security was awarded in December 2020 for the private security service for the National Professional Promotion Service (SNPP).
The contract was for G. 3,500 million for one year for the work of 100 private guards, but less than three months after the resolution, the DNCP decided to revoke the award for irregularities in the Bidding Terms and Conditions (PBC).
Olga de Jure is a shareholder of the firm, however, her sworn statement of assets was not submitted, taking into account that one of the requirements is that all shareholders present this document in order to compete.
