Defense Ministry to save zl.15 million through cancelling consultant tender

The Defense Ministry has cancelled the tender for a consultant to advise on the purchase of multi-purpose jets for the Polish air force. The Ministry decided that all legal matters relating to the bid could be handled by its own Legal Department, allowing it to save zl.15 million. "Deputy Minister Janusz Zemke has cancelled the bid for formal reasons. Three of the companies didn't have the necessary security clearance, and the two other bidders were asking for far more than the Defense Ministry was willing to allocate for the service," explained Ministry spokesman Colonel Eugeniusz Mleczak. A final decision on which company will be awarded the $3.5 billion contract to supply the air force with multi-purpose jets will be made in mid-2002. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A5; Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 5) A.K.