Vehicle makers complain about unfair Health Ministry ambulance tender

Several leading vehicle manufacturers, among them Fiat Polska, Renault Polska and General Motors Poland, are accusing the Health Ministry of infringing the law on sound competition in the tender for the supply of 81 ambulances. At the beginning of June, the Health Ministry announced an international tender to supply the ambulances, but 12 days before the closing date for submitting bids it introduced additional technical requirements and extended the deadline until August 3rd. The vehicle manufacturers unhappy with these changes in the tender complain that the total costs of delivery would rise by zl.2 million. They also claim that only two manufacturers, Mercedes and Volkswagen, could meet the new requirements. "The protest is being examined by the Ministry and a decision will be made at the beginning of next week," said Treasury Ministry press spokesman Andrzej Troszynski. (Rzeczpospolita, July 21-22, p. B1) A.Z.