By: Staff Writer
Colombo (LNW): The Department for Registration of Persons (DRP) has called a new tender for the procurement of 5 million Pre-printed Poly-carbonate National Identity Cards (NIC) on Wednesday November 1 until new bio metric NICs applicable to the whole population is ready for the issuance, department sources confirmed.
The DRP has officially informed the cancellation of the last tender for 1 million cards on October 30 called on April 2023 after four prospective suppliers submitted their bids at that time.
The closing date of the new tender for 5 million cards will be on November 22 and this action of cancelling the bids of four suppliers, around five months after receiving bids for the previous tender has bewildered the prospective bidders.
They told the Business Times the time period given for them was inadequate for companies to submit comprehensive offers.
According to DRP sources there are over 1.5 million cards pending issuance due to lack of cards at the department.
The Department of Registrar of Persons (DRP) called for 7 tenders within the last 8 years to purchase National ID Cards.
Out of 7 only 3 times, the department has placed the orders and balance 4 times citing various dubious reasons they cancelled the tender and extend the previous contract by two years.
In most cases the department has increased the tendered price with the connivance of the previous selected bidder.
According to the tender results, the department has never placed the order with lowest price but given preference to higher prices.
The DRP has given the contract to their preferred local supplier on two occasions one in 2016 and the other in 2O21, disgruntled bidders complained.
In 2018 and 2021 same local supplier and different foreign principals were given the NIC tender without considering the lowest bidder, they alleged.
According to the official report of NIC tender awardees, JIT was the preferred selected supplier of national identity cards for the DRP since 2018 up to October 2022.
DRP officials and technical evaluation committee members jointly issue the specs that others cannot qualify due to technical reasons as they set the specs for the Gemalto (presently known as Thales also represent by JIT local company), they alleged.
