BG reporter

Two weeks before companies were to start providing catering services to Botswana Examination Council (BEC), the organisation was by Wednesday, still resolving controversies in the tender and were yet to announce the result of the bids opened in June. Although BEC could not confirm or deny it, Botswana Guardian has it on good authority that the tender may be cancelled and fresh bids called due to an error in the tender documents inviting the offers.
Tender No. BEC EAC 03/10-11 is for the provision of catering services at marking venues for primary school (sic) examinations, junior certificate examinations, Botswana General Certificate of secondary education and examiners workshops.
At least on two pages of the tender document the “closing time for submission of offers is 1000hrs on Friday, 17th June 2010”. Some bidders have complained that the delay in announcing the winners could compromise their performance, as preparations to start work should be underway, as work starts mid August. 
The director of Corporate Services, acting BEC Executive Secretary Tendani Wotho, confirmed on Wednesday that the tender for catering services had not been awarded yet despite it being opened on June 17. Although Wotho said management has made a decision about the catering services tender she declined to comment on the allegation that it has been cancelled with the view to invite bids afresh. “We are in the process of informing the bidders in writing about the management decision. I would not want to discuss the management decision with media before communicating it to the interested parties, being the bidders,” she said, adding that they expect the process to be complete by the end of the week.
Explaining irregularities discovered in the tender, Wotho said a day before the closing date BEC discovered the erroneous date and moved to correct the mistake by informing the bidders of the correct date by telephone. However after opening the bids management reviewed the decision to inform bidders by telephone and could not decide whether it was fair or legally correct. “We could not proceed with evaluation and had to seek clarification and advice,” said Wotho without revealing what advice they received. 
Botswana Guardian also has it on good authority that BEC management has decided to cancel the tender and invite new bids, for fear of litigation from companies that were denied an opportunity to submit their bids due to the error in the tender document. Some companies interested in submitting tender documents were turned back when they tried to submit bids after the 1000hrs deadline on Thursday 17 June 2010, despite that the tender document inviting bids had indicated that the deadline was on Friday (the next day). Wotho confirmed that they have discovered that some companies were turned away on Thursday June 17.  Details were still scanty at time of going to press but Botswana Guardian is also reliably informed that BEC management had a meeting with bidders on Tuesday regarding the developments in the catering tender.There is speculation that the delay in announcing the successful bidders is because one of the companies violated tender procedures and should have been disqualified at Stage 1. While the tender requirement stated that: “one original and five copies of the bids must be submitted”, the said company (known to Botswana Guardian) is reported to have submitted five instead of six copies of their technical bid. Under section 1.13 of the tender document (titled Disqualification at Stage 1) a bidder whose technical bid does not submit the correct number of copies will be disqualified during the first scrutiny at Stage 1. The seven companies competing for the tender are Moghul, Curry Pot, Shonic, Fairgrounds Holdings, Maharaja, Khuzi and Windsor Inn. Curry Pot is the current resident catering company at the BEC cafeteria.