Odebrecht snags another big government contract
Brazilian construction giant Norberto Odebrecht, has snagged yet another Panamanian contract to add the nearly $3.5 billion accumulated for other works.
With an offer of $679.4 million, Odebrecht has emerged as the winner to build anew extension at the Tocumen International Airport,to be known as the South Terminal.
The news comes as the time when residents and businesses in San Felipe are being asked to sign petitions opposing the construction of a six lane viaduct around the old city, with a letter being fired off to Odebrecht’s top management in Brazil, to intervene in the $780 million dollar project, which is already under way. President Ricardo Marrtinellis has already made it clear that “My way is the highway.”
The Odebrecht company, which has been involved since 2006 in contracts for about $3.405 million, surpassed the Asian firm China Harbour Engineering Company, which submitted a bid of $743.8 million dollars.
The proposals from Meco, of Costa Rica, and Conalvías de Capital Colombiano l, were not opened, because, in the opinion of the bid evaluation committee, tye failed to comply with the specifications.
Besides offering the lowest price under an amount specified in Tocumen, SA, 691.7 million dollars, Odebrecht received the highest score in the technical evaluation.
Based on previous experience and basic design, the evaluation committee awarded the Brazilian company 68 points, surpassing the 47 of China Harbour Engineering Company.
The two disqualified companies and the Asian-firm will have five working days to discuss the proceedings of the committee and determine if it meets the standards established in the act.
The construction will cover 75,000 thousand square meters and add 20 new boarding gates at the main air gateway of the country.
Initially, the administration of Tocumen, SA estimated the work would cost $ 400 million, but the expansion will end up $ 200 million above the original estimate.
