LAHORE, June 27: Wapda’s Design Committee on Friday recommended purchase of one million single-phase energy meters from the local manufacturers, knocking five Chinese suppliers out of contention.

Wapda had floated the tender (2735) for the purchase of meters in May. Some 10 companies, including five Chinese, had applied for the supply order. The Chinese companies quoted prices ranging between Rs647 and Rs810 per meter whereas the four local firms asked for Rs810-820 per meter.

Explaining the technical knock-out of the Chinese firms from the bid, a former Wapda official said energy meters all over the world were manufactured in accordance with international standards called ICE-521-1988. “Only physical attributes of the meters vary from country to country. So was the case with this tender. The committee has ruled out Chinese suppliers on the grounds that they have not furnished samples with the physical attributes specific to Pakistan,” he said.

It may be mentioned that the authority had been acquiring such energy meters for as high a price as Rs1,050-1,125 per piece from the local producers without floating international tenders for three years until 2002.

However, the prices of local meters drastically dropped when an international tender for 1.2 million meters was floated last year. The decline in the prices quoted was caused by the advent of a Chinese supplier that had quoted a price of Rs730 a piece. However, the contract was granted to local manufacturers at Rs830 per piece as they were allowed 15 per cent domestic preference under the law.