La floración de los guayacanes se convierte cada año, entre los meses de marzo y abril, en un espectáculo visual que pinta de amarillo el horizonte de...
Actualizado
- 09/07/2009 02:00
Creado
- 09/07/2009 02:00
PANAMA. The Italian-Panamanian consortium Grupos Unidos por el Canal (GUPC) won the contract to build the third set of locks that form ...
PANAMA. The Italian-Panamanian consortium Grupos Unidos por el Canal (GUPC) won the contract to build the third set of locks that form part of the canal widening project.
GUPC was given 4089 points out 5000 for the technical side of the design by the Panama Canal Technical Board and its bid was $3.1 billion, well below the budget of $3.4 billion that the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) set aside for the construction of the locks.
The other two bidding companies were the Dutch consortium CANAL and the Japanese Bechtel Taisei. The fourth company the French Atlantico Pacifico de Panama retired from the bidding proceeding in March, after the demands it made to the ACP were not met.
One of the members of the GUPC, Impregilo, upset the ACP by saying ahead of time that they had the best technical marks.
The announcement of the winning consortium was made yesterday after the sealed bids were taken from the vault of the National Bank and opened before President Ricardo Martinelli and the public.
The construction of the third set of locks is the most expensive and important part of the $5.2 billion project.
The Minister for the Canal Affairs, Romulo Roux said that the ACP will formally accept the proposal in one or two days.
Roux said that part of the money saved due to the low bid of the winning consortium will go towards the public transport program.
GUPC, the winning consortium will have 28 days from the day of adjudication to show to the ACP that they will be able to pay for the necessary guarantee money to assure that the works will be finished on time. Once this process has taken place, the consortium will have to start work within 42 days of the awarding of the contract.
Rogelio Aleman from the Panamanian company Constructora Urbana S.A. Cusa, which formed part of the winning consortium said that he was very happy with the process and ready to deliver a quality product.
Cusa has won numerous construction contracts from the Panama Canal Authority and the central government over the last five years.
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