Multinational corporations presented proposals to the Colombian Ministry of Transportation to improve competitiveness and permit more foreign investment in the transportation sector, reported La Republica Wednesday.
The multinationals proposed changes to aspects of the Colombian contract bidding system that they believe limit development of competitive bidding and marginalize the entry of foreign firms to the country.
The proposal to the ministry touched on the transportation sector’s controversial business practices which have flooded Bogota with half-finished public works projects and led to the revelations of millions of dollars in illegal contracts awarded by city officials.
“We know that this system avoids certain infractions that are known in the sector. But it should be changed to avoid awards with insufficient budgets that only lead to poorly executed projects,” the proposal stated.
Among other suggestions, the foreign firms recommended that Colombia solicit one technical offer and one monetary offer during the bidding for public works projects and elect the firm that has the best overall score, a process common in countries like the United States.
The multinationals iterated that if Colombia fixes the limitations in its contract award system the country will enjoy more foreign investment and participation in projects that the Ministry of Transportation is structuring.
In February the infrastructure editor for Business News America, Catherine Setterfield, reported that development of infrastructure in Colombia is hindered more by corruption than by security issues.