The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has rejected a Korean company’s claims of wrongdoing during the bidding process for Greater Male Waste-to-Energy project.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB)-funded project will generate electricity from waste as part of attempts to address the Maldives’ waste management issue.
A waste management facility will be established in Thilafushi as part of the project, which will aid in safer trash handling and transportation.
Five of the six companies picked at the pre-qualification round submitted a proposal for the project, according to the finance ministry, with three of them being chosen for the bid assessment process.
Techcross Inc of South Korea, which was unsuccessful in the bidding process, filed a complaint with the ACC, alleging deception and corruption on the part of the finance ministry in the project being awarded to another company.
According to the Korean company’s complaint submitted with the ACC, the company lost the bidding process despite delivering the lowest projected cost. While defending their allegations, the company told local media that when they inquired about the bid-winning criterion, the finance ministry refused to provide an explanation.
After evaluating the complaint, the ACC determined that there was no impropriety in the bidding process and concluded their investigation, which was confirmed by both the ACC and the finance ministry.
In response to the accusation, the finance ministry issued a statement on Monday claiming that it followed the ADB’s bidding and procurement standards throughout the bidding process. In addition, it stated that the ADB had not expressed any concerns after evaluating the bidding procedure for the waste-to-energy project.
The finance ministry also claimed to have provided a response in accordance with established protocol and debriefed bidders in writing on any project-related concerns. It further noted that such a technical project is not granted merely on the basis of the estimated cost.
