The Public Accounts Committee of the Nepal National Assembly stepped in and terminated the $200 million road contract awarded by the Nepalese Army to a Chinese construction company. The committee stated that the deal with Poly Changda Engineering Company for work packages on the expressway violated the country’s 2015 “Public Procurement Law” of the country’s competitive bidding procedures.

The road contract is for the construction of tunnels and bridges for the fast-track highway from Kathmandu to Terai. The highway will cost US$1 billion to connect the capital of Nepal with Nigad in the southern plains and reduce travel time by about a third. One.

Committee Secretary Roj Nath Pandey said: “The committee’s research found that the Public Procurement Law and its regulations were seriously violated in the second phase of the prequalification of construction companies. The committee instructed to cancel the entire process and start a new process. "About 22 companies expressed interest in bidding for the project. Nepal’s procurement rules stipulate that multiple bidders must be shortlisted, but the military only regards Poly Chanda as a shortlisted bidder.

The first software package that also includes tunnels and bridges was awarded to China State Construction Engineering Corporation. The company's bid for the second phase of the project failed. There are a total of 86 bridges on the highway, 16 of which are classified as "special" bridges, and the tunnel is 6.4 kilometers long. The completion of this route, originally scheduled for July 2024, is likely to be further delayed due to the need to re-tender the second set of work.

Poly Changda, also known as Guangdong Changda Highway Engineering Co., Ltd., specializes in the construction of highways, bridges and tunnels.Editor/Huang Lijun