India lobbying for allowing its companies in Bangladesh bidding

[Black_cats]

Sunday, 15 November 2020 |

India lobbying for allowing its companies in Bangladesh bidding

REZAUL KARIM | Published: November 15, 2020 09:39:07 | Updated: November 15, 2020 10:04:26

India has again pressed Bangladesh for allowing its companies to participate in international tenders floated by the government of Bangladesh, officials said.

"The High Commission of India, Dhaka has further requested the government ministry to look into the matter so that Indian companies are not excluded from participating in international tenders floated by the government of Bangladesh," said a recent note verbale.

Since December 2016, the Indian High Commission in Dhaka has issued over a dozen note verbales to the ministries concerned seeking favour, the officials added.

On September 30 and October 18 this year, it sent two note verbales to the foreign ministry, reminding the issue.

The issue of restrictions on participation of Indian companies in international tenders was raised at a commerce secretary-level meeting between Bangladesh and India held on 15-16 January 2020 in New Delhi.

According to the note verbales, "The High Commission of India, Dhaka wishes to draw the attention of the esteemed ministry to a tender for floated by Department of Fire Service and Civil Defence under the Ministry of Home Affairs, which restricts participation of Indian companies by confining the country of origin of goods to only Japan/USA/UK/Australia/Canada/New Zealand and EU countries as sourcing countries."

The commission claimed that Indian companies possess competence and experience to execute international contracts successfully and supply goods that meet global quality standards at competitive prices, the note verbales added.

India does not place any such restrictions on Bangladesh companies interested in participating in international tenders floated by the former, it mentioned.

During his visit to Dhaka in September 2018, former Indian commerce minister Suresh Prabhu took the issue with his then Bangladeshi counterpart.

In February 2018, Indian commerce secretary Rita Teaotia also raised the issue at the secretary-level meeting held in Dhaka. At the fifth meeting of the India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Commission held in New Delhi in February 2019, the Indian side had also asked for the favour.

In the note verbale sent in September 2019, the Indian High Commission referred to "precluding participation of Indian companies in international tenders floated by various government organisations of Bangladesh putting restrictions on the country of origin of goods to be supplied."

In the technical specification of the tenders, it also said, Bangladeshi organisations mention that goods to be supplied must be manufactured in the country having human development index above 0.8.

In the 2019 human development index of the United Nations Development Programme, India ranked 129th having value of 0.647.

In an earlier note verbale, the high commission said the "technical specification should be non-restrictive, fair and open as stipulated in the Bangladesh PPR 2008."

However, a web trawl produced scores of news items, which said Indian companies secured contracts for a good number of mega infrastructure projects either in joint venture or unilaterally, a high official of the commerce ministry said.

The contracts include: Larsen & Toubro's getting a Rs 31.91 billion work for the construction of a line for Dhaka Metrorail project, Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd's winning of international bid valued at Rs 100 billion for setting up of a coal power plant, and securing a Rs 7.37 billion contract from Russia to build Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant by Hindustan Construction Co, he added.

A senior official at the ministry of commerce told the FE that the PPR 2008 does not add any clause that restricts any 'particular' country to participate in any tender process, let alone India.
"Any international tender is open to all and they can participate by meeting the conditions," he said.

The official, preferring anonymity, said the government's ministries concerned are examining the Indian concern if any particular country by any means faced restrictions.

"India is our good and important neighbouring country. We have no intention to bar its companies here. No agency could relax rules for any particular country or obstruct anyone with bad intention in case of international tenders," he made it clear.

India lobbying for allowing its companies in Bangladesh bidding

India has again pressed Bangladesh for allowing its companies to participate in international tenders floated by the government of Bangladesh, officials said. "The High Commission of India, Dhaka has further requested the government ministry to look into the matter so that Indian companies are not

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

 

[GHALIB]

it business as usual .

 

[fallstuff]

It will only work in Indian funded project which just happens to be zero at this moment.

 

[bluesky]

India has again pressed Bangladesh for allowing its companies to participate in international tenders floated by the government of Bangladesh, officials said.

India, China, South Korea and many others want to participate in BD construction projects. But, where are our local companies, why our own govt or our PDF brats do not cry for them, but play cheerleaders for foreigners?

Are they outcast by the GoB for the dollar benefit its bureaucrats and politicians would get in their Swiss banks by allocating works to foreign companies? Who can contest the GoB position that BD is developing.

 

[saif]

Bangladeshi construction companies are not technologically superior and is not able to build big ticket infrastructures like Padma bridge, Karnaphuly tunnel etc.

 

[Tom-tom]

The India have already messed up over a critical equipment delivery for BDs first nuclear power plant. If we allow Indian companies get ready for sub par work and continuous delays.

 

[saif]

For big ticket infrastructure projects, Chinese companies should be our priority. Indian companies are not a match for Chinese companies.

 

[bluesky]

Bangladeshi construction companies are not technologically superior and is not able to build big ticket infrastructures like Padma bridge, Karnaphuly tunnel etc.

Yours is not a good reason. It is the responsibility of the govt of Bangladesh to introduce a system by which local consulting/design companies learn from the current foreign consulting companies when they conduct the design of a BD national project. It is same with the construction companies, as well.

73 years have passed since 1947 and we still remain in the kindergarten of self-doing. The govt will not allow something whereby locals do the jobs. It is because bureaucrats and politicians earn money by giving contract to foreign companies.

No wonder, BD will remain at the lowest rung of the economic ladder at least for the next few centuries.

 

[Landmine]

Indian companies were known for sending their substandard engineers for some very important projects. As far as I can recall, an Indian company was appointed to do the steel structure of the Khancpur bridge. They messed up so badly that the Japanese structural engineers recommend the Oriental consultant (Lead consulting firm of the three bridge projects) to handover the design part to them. This is not the only one. The Indian engineer of the Dhaka Ashulia project had done the vertical alignment of the express-way in excel (I know it is hard to believe), which set the 12 months project 9 months late. I literary worked my *** off to finish all the horizontal and vertical alignment using Civil 3D within two and half month so that the project stayed alive. How come they claim that their engineers are capable of doing such a complicated project, I have no idea about it.

I also heard they messed up big in the metro rail project . However, I could not confirm since I heard that from my friend who was working on that project.

The substandard foreign (read "Indian") engineers normally get paid 3 times more than a capable engineer in Bangladesh. I can still remember, I was working night and day and that do***** was trying hard and soul to remove the grade-separated interchange at Bipail designed by me. Because it is hard to draw an interchange in excel (my speculation). This is one of the major reasons I left my country.

It is the responsibility of the govt of Bangladesh to introduce a system by which local consulting/design companies learn from the current foreign consulting companies when they conduct the design of a BD national project. It is same with the construction companies, as well.

I am not sure about the whole tendering process. However, I have never seen any international company working on its own. They always have to JV with any local company. RHD and BBA called it local skill development. AFIAK BBA and RHD typically push local companies to lead such big projects, since it is easy to communicate. Spectrum, AML, Toma are doing great. however, they are still suffering from a lack of full-time capable engineers. This is one of the main reasons the GOB still depends on Internation companies. I know the government should encourage local companies more. However, I do not think the local companies are ready to take big projects on their own right now. They simply cannot.

 

[Destranator]

Yours is not a good reason. It is the responsibility of the govt of Bangladesh to introduce a system by which local consulting/design companies learn from the current foreign consulting companies when they conduct the design of a BD national project. It is same with the construction companies, as well.

73 years have passed since 1947 and we still remain in the kindergarten of self-doing. The govt will not allow something whereby locals do the jobs. It is because bureaucrats and politicians earn money by giving contract to foreign companies.

No wonder, BD will remain at the lowest rung of the economic ladder at least for the next few centuries.

Local contractors like Abdul Monem are also involved in mega projects as subbies to the foreign managing contractors. It is not true that there is no skill transfer.

Mind you, 90% of major projects have only been happening in the last 25 years or so. Prior to that we were largely thumb twiddling. We even turned down a free submarine cable connection in the early 90's.
Give BD companies time.

 

[Michael Corleone]

So that they leave without completing projects and withdrawing guarantee funds? No thanks

 

[Destranator]

Sunday, 15 November 2020 |

India lobbying for allowing its companies in Bangladesh bidding

REZAUL KARIM | Published: November 15, 2020 09:39:07 | Updated: November 15, 2020 10:04:26

India has again pressed Bangladesh for allowing its companies to participate in international tenders floated by the government of Bangladesh, officials said.

"The High Commission of India, Dhaka has further requested the government ministry to look into the matter so that Indian companies are not excluded from participating in international tenders floated by the government of Bangladesh," said a recent note verbale.

Since December 2016, the Indian High Commission in Dhaka has issued over a dozen note verbales to the ministries concerned seeking favour, the officials added.

On September 30 and October 18 this year, it sent two note verbales to the foreign ministry, reminding the issue.

The issue of restrictions on participation of Indian companies in international tenders was raised at a commerce secretary-level meeting between Bangladesh and India held on 15-16 January 2020 in New Delhi.

According to the note verbales, "The High Commission of India, Dhaka wishes to draw the attention of the esteemed ministry to a tender for floated by Department of Fire Service and Civil Defence under the Ministry of Home Affairs, which restricts participation of Indian companies by confining the country of origin of goods to only Japan/USA/UK/Australia/Canada/New Zealand and EU countries as sourcing countries."

The commission claimed that Indian companies possess competence and experience to execute international contracts successfully and supply goods that meet global quality standards at competitive prices, the note verbales added.

India does not place any such restrictions on Bangladesh companies interested in participating in international tenders floated by the former, it mentioned.

During his visit to Dhaka in September 2018, former Indian commerce minister Suresh Prabhu took the issue with his then Bangladeshi counterpart.

In February 2018, Indian commerce secretary Rita Teaotia also raised the issue at the secretary-level meeting held in Dhaka. At the fifth meeting of the India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Commission held in New Delhi in February 2019, the Indian side had also asked for the favour.

In the note verbale sent in September 2019, the Indian High Commission referred to "precluding participation of Indian companies in international tenders floated by various government organisations of Bangladesh putting restrictions on the country of origin of goods to be supplied."

In the technical specification of the tenders, it also said, Bangladeshi organisations mention that goods to be supplied must be manufactured in the country having human development index above 0.8.

In the 2019 human development index of the United Nations Development Programme, India ranked 129th having value of 0.647.

In an earlier note verbale, the high commission said the "technical specification should be non-restrictive, fair and open as stipulated in the Bangladesh PPR 2008."

However, a web trawl produced scores of news items, which said Indian companies secured contracts for a good number of mega infrastructure projects either in joint venture or unilaterally, a high official of the commerce ministry said.

The contracts include: Larsen & Toubro's getting a Rs 31.91 billion work for the construction of a line for Dhaka Metrorail project, Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd's winning of international bid valued at Rs 100 billion for setting up of a coal power plant, and securing a Rs 7.37 billion contract from Russia to build Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant by Hindustan Construction Co, he added.

A senior official at the ministry of commerce told the FE that the PPR 2008 does not add any clause that restricts any 'particular' country to participate in any tender process, let alone India.
"Any international tender is open to all and they can participate by meeting the conditions," he said.

The official, preferring anonymity, said the government's ministries concerned are examining the Indian concern if any particular country by any means faced restrictions.

"India is our good and important neighbouring country. We have no intention to bar its companies here. No agency could relax rules for any particular country or obstruct anyone with bad intention in case of international tenders," he made it clear.

India lobbying for allowing its companies in Bangladesh bidding

India has again pressed Bangladesh for allowing its companies to participate in international tenders floated by the government of Bangladesh, officials said. "The High Commission of India, Dhaka has further requested the government ministry to look into the matter so that Indian companies are not

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

"The High Commission of India, Dhaka wishes to draw the attention of the esteemed ministry to a tender for floated by Department of Fire Service and Civil Defence under the Ministry of Home Affairs, which restricts participation of Indian companies by confining the country of origin of goods to only Japan/USA/UK/Australia/Canada/New Zealand and EU countries as sourcing countries."

Is this not enough clue for them to realise why their participation is unwanted?
The "esteemed ministry" should point out all the shoddy work done by Indian companies to shut them up.