Water dept may step in

Plodprasop

Royal Irrigation Department might take over parts of Bt350-bn flood scheme; Technical round is next hurdle as WFMC studies details of four bidders' proposals

The Royal Irrigation Department (RID) might take over parts of the Bt350-billion water-management and flood-prevention project if there are no winners in the technical round of the bidding process, a source said yesterday.

Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi, who chairs the government's Water and Flood Management Commission (WFMC), said it had a solution if there are no winners in the bidding for certain project modules.

The result of the technical round of bids will be known on Monday. However, the selection panel may not publicly announce the result.

"We can start anew. Perhaps we may assign the Royal Irrigation Department to design the projects," Plodprasop said yesterday before presiding over a meeting on the project modules.

A WMFC source said the panel would have to find out whether the conditions of the Bt350-billion loan decree allow a state agency like the RID to take over in cases where no bidders pass the technical round.

According to Plodprasop, more than 40 officials have been studying proposals from four qualified bidders since early this month.

"They have been poring over the information 16 hours a day," he said.

To pass the technical round, the bidders must get a score of at least 80, Plodprasop said.

Apichart Anukool-ampai, who chairs the WFMC subcommittee on technical project analysis, said the panel would conclude its review by tomorrow.

"We will then submit the technical scores to the selection panel," he said.

According to Apichart, the subcommittee is giving 60-per-cent weight to the completeness of the bidders' technical proposals, 20-per-cent weight to their implementation plans and 20-per-cent weight to their experience and human resources.

"We will present the top two scores per module to the selection panel," Apichart said.

However, if no bidders score higher than 80 in the technical round, the WFMC will not proceed further with the bidding process, he said.

"We won't open the price bids if no one passes the technical round."

Plodprasop separately said that if bidders passed the technical round, the top scorers would be invited to negotiate on price.

"We will discuss prices. If their price is too high, we will talk to the second-highest scorer," he said.

If no firms score higher than 80 per cent in the technical round, the bidding process will come to a complete halt, Plodprasop said.

And although he does not have a Plan B, Plodprasop said the implementation of the massive water scheme would still go ahead.

"It's just that we will do it in a different way. But we won't use special means for sure."

According to Plodprasop, the WFMC will have no problem with the Bt350-billion loan decree's June 30 deadline.

The Cabinet approved the decree in the wake of the 2011 flooding.

"This decree calls for all projects to be complete within five years," Plodprasop said.

Of the Bt350-billion fund, the WFMC will allocate Bt10 billion to the Strategic Committee for Reconstruction and Future Development, which deals with drought problems along the Eastern Seaboard, according to the WFMC source. This is aimed at ensuring that there is sufficient water for the area's industrial sector.

Half of the Bt10 billion would be allocated for managing water resources for industry, Bt2 billion to deal with wastewater and the remaining Bt3 billion to provide water for agricultural purposes, the source said, with the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry taking care of the last portion of the project.

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Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2013/05/24/water-dept-may-step-in/