Strabag attacks result of Okecie airport expansion tender

Austrian consortium Strabag, which had lost the billion zloty tender of Porty Lotnicze to expand Okecie airport, is demanding that the offers at least be re-examined, or even that the whole tender should be repeated. Strabag claims that numerous formal mistakes were made by the party running the tender and in the offer presented by the Budimex, Ferrovial and Estudio Lamela consortium which won the contract. "We will not comment on this case," said a Budimex spokesperson. Strabag claims that the consortium did not meet basic requirements laid out in the tender. They say that the navigational lights steering system could pose a threat to air traffic safety while the system to illuminate runways is obsolete. Strabag accuses the Budimex consortium for undervaluing their proposal by about $60 million. The price offer of the winning companies amounted to $206 million, while its competitors, Hochtief and Strabag, evaluated the costs at $274.6 and $279 million respectively. The Austrian company also criticized the fact that the deadline for placing offers was changed and that commission members were replaced during the proceedings. (Puls Biznesu, pp. 1, 5) M.M.