05:14 AM June 21, 2018
Two bidders were deemed eligible to
bid to establish and operate the fuel marking and field testing system mandated
under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act to arrest oil
smuggling.
Following the deadline for the
submission of eligibility documents yesterday, the Department of Budget and
Management-Procurement Service (DBM-PS) bids and awards committee said
Texas-based Authentix and the joint venture between Switzerland-based SICPA and
SGS Philippines had complete documentary requirements, hence eligible for
short-listing.
Dow Chemical Philippines, which
earlier expressed interest to bid, backed out.
Jaime M. Navarrete Jr., who chairs
the bids and awards committee for the fuel marking system, said the
short-listed bidders would be announced on June 29.
Navarrete, however, noted of possible
conflict of interest as Authentix and SGS, now rival bidders, used to be
partners in a number of projects, including the fuel marking system implemented
at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone by former Customs Commissioner Napoleon L.
Morales.
But an SGS representative said it
now “made more sense working with SICPA” for the new fuel marking program, even
as it still has an existing partnership with Authentix in the African country
of Zambia.
The DBM-PS and the Bureau of Customs
earlier set the price ceiling for the fuel marking at P0.08 per liter over a
five-year period.
The selected company will have to
assist in establishing and operating a fuel marking system that will supply and
inject fuel marker in all taxable oil products, except Jet A-1, Avgas, Crude
Oil and LPG; implement and manage a fueltesting program, including fuel
analysis and data management, nationwide; and train and ensure technology
transfer to BOC and Bureau of Internal Revenue personnel.
The bidders will be rated based on
track record in implementing fuel marking here or abroad, qualification of
personnel and current workload relative to capacity.
The government will pay the contract
cost of P1.96 billion for the first year in case of overperformance in the
volume of fuel marked.
For 2018, about 21.9 billion liters
of fuel are expected to enter the country’s 25 ports and subports. —BEN
DE VERA
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