PEC objects to CDA's general pre-qualification of construction firms.

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) has objected to the Capital Development Authority's (CDA) move of general pre-qualification of construction firms for upcoming development works.

The CDA is in process of pre-qualifying construction firms and only qualified firms will have the right to participate in bidding process to get CDA's contracts.

Sources said that the civic agency wants to award its contracts to financially sound firms only, particularly a mega project worth Rs 10 billion for development in rural areas.

However, official sources said that as per PEC's guideline and Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PAPRA) rules, the civic agency could not do general pre-qualification, rather it can do for specific project. Similarly, officials said that in the past, environment wing of the civic agency had done the general pre-qualification of firms, which was quashed by courts.

Last month, the CDA had invited applications for prequalification from all registered firms and sources said that out of total 213 of various categories, 75 companies have pre-qualified.

Sources said that now after PEC's letter, the engineering wing is exploring various options but final decision has not been made as yet.

They said that if the civic agency wanted to start projects soon, it had another option that is single stages two envelope bidding procedure, which is an approved procedure by PAPRA.

The sources said that under this process, the construction firms are to be asked to submit both technical and financial bids together and CDA opens technical bids first and those firms, which fulfill technical criteria, only their financial bids are open.

A source in PEC said the council has written a letter to CDA in this regard. The letter available with Dawn dated March 1 and which...