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THE Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said the lone
bidder for the North Harbor contract would still be qualified to
take part in a second round, after the first auction failed due to
the absence of challengers.
Oscar M. Sevilla, PPA general
manager, told The Manila Times that the partnership between Metro
Pacific Investment Corp. (MPIC) and Harbour Centre Port Terminals
Inc. has been prequalified by the agency’s special bids and awards
committee, and so would be allowed to take part in a second bidding.
MPIC, the local unit of Hong
Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., would own 35 percent of the joint
venture company, while Regis Romero-owned Harbour Center controls
the remaining 65 percent.
“They [MPIC and Harbour Centre]
are already prequalified and considered as potential bidder for the
North Harbor privatization project. But, we still need more bidders
to have lower tariff rates,” Sevilla said.
He said Asian Terminals Inc.
(ATI), which failed to qualify, can still submit its requirements
upon release of the new schedule.
ATI was disqualified because of
its failure to submit a waiver document. The port operator instead
gave a special power of attorney that allows its chief executive to
execute such a waiver.
During the prequalification bid,
the National Marine Corp., owned by the Magsaysay group informed PPA
through a letter that it will no longer pursue the North Harbor
project.
Pier 8 Arrastre and Steve-doring
Services, Inc., failed to submit required documents on time, while
Prudential Brokerage was disqualified for submitting only one set of
original documents as against the required set of seven.
The winning bidder will operate
the port for the next 25 years with provisions for renewal in order
to provide it with reasonable time to recover its investments.
The North Harbor’s Terminal 1
will service roll-on, roll-off container and passenger vessels; its
Terminal 2 will service container and passenger vessel. Terminal 3
will be allotted to conventional, noncontainerized, bulk or
break-bulk vessels and passenger vessels.
The PPA scheduled the opening of
bids on October 18.
--Darwin G. Amojelar
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