PPL makes last-minute change to Okecie Airport tender

A matter of days before the deadline for submitting bids for the construction of the second terminal at Warsaw's Okecie Airport, Polish Airports Authority (PPL) director Zbigniew Lesiecki has changed the conditions of the tender. Under the new terms, the price quoted will have added weight. PPL spokesman Ryszard Cebula explained, "The director decided on a restructuring plan. A consulting company was hired, which advised that the price should be a more important factor. The consortia participating in the tender were informed, and they raised no objections." This is not the first time Lesiecki has intervened in the tender. In January he decided to postpone the deadline for submitting offers by two months, and a week ago he replaced four of the 13 members of the tender commission. He explained the moves were part of PPL's restructuring. According to head of the Sejm Infrastructure Commission, Janusz Piechocinski, Lesiecki's latest decision could have a huge impact on the tender. The offers are expected to be several hundred pages in length, and since bids must be received by March 15 the companies will not have enough time to change their offers so as to ensure they are still competitive. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 19) A.Z.