The Cabima Consortium -made up of Constructora Meco SA and Constructora Meco Panamá SA- appealed to the Administrative Court of Public Procurement to stop the bidding process for best value for the design, construction and financing of an interchange at the entrance of La Cabima, district of Mayor Diaz, in northern Panama.
On January 25, the construction company filed an appeal against a resolution of the Ministry of Public Works (MOP), which authorized the award of a millionaire project in favor of the C&T La Cabima Consortium, made up of the companies Constructora Urbana, SA ( Cusa) and Toronto Holdings, S.A.
The Administrative Court admitted the appeal and ordered the process to be suspended until it resolves the appeal. The rapporteur magistrate in this case is Martín Wilson.
Meco competed with Cusa in this tender last November. However, the Meco company was disqualified by the project’s Evaluation Commission. According to the commission, it did not comply with the lines of cost of financing and authentication and legalization of documents.
The Cabima Consortium filed a claim with the Public Procurement Directorate, but it was unsuccessful.
The C&T La Cabima Consortium won the tender, after presenting an offer of $22.5 million. The Cabima Consortium had offered a lower price: $21.7 million.
These amounts are higher than the reference price of the project: $20.8 million.
On January 18, the MOP decided to award the work. But now, with the new appeal filed, the process is again stopped.
Meco asks that the adjudication resolution be revoked, that the report of the Evaluation Commission be annulled and that the formation of a new evaluation commission be ordered.
This project contemplates the design and construction of a trumpet-type road interchange at the entrance to La Cabima and a “horseshoe-type” drop-off near the entrance to Ciudad Bolívar.
In addition, it includes the rehabilitation and expansion of approximately 1.2 kilometers of internal streets in La Cabima as well as the rehabilitation and expansion of 1 kilometer of the Transístmica highway from the main street to the Montserrat neighborhood to approximately 200 meters after the entrance to Cuidad Bolívar. It will also include a third lane on both sides of the road, plus the construction of sidewalks of 1.50 meters and 2.50 meters.
