ISLAMABAD: Transparency International Pakistan (TIP) has pointed out violations of Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules in award of the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) contract to a company.

A letter, addressed to the PMC President Dr Arshad Taqi, states that PMC has awarded millions of rupees contract for conducting examinations to a service provider firm, which was incorporated with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) after the last date for submitting bids.

The PMC had published an advertisement in newspapers on May 4, seeking request for proposals from service provider firms to hold a computer based MCQ exam on annual basis. First exam will be held in August 2021 in which approximately 175,000 students would participate.

PMC had also asked the service provider to install or make available a minimum of 2500-3000 laptops and portable computer terminals capable of handling a computerised examination to be held at centres in at least 20 designated cities across Pakistan.

The advertisement stated that the proposals may be submitted in seven days and not later than May 10. The contract was awarded to MS SOAR Testing and Evaluation Platform (SMC-PVT) Limited.

The letter, signed by Vice Chairperson of TIP retired Justice Nasira Iqbal, further said that according to PPRA rules 15 days had to be given to the companies to submit proposals but PMC provided only seven days. Moreover, it said there were a number of other violations.

However, the PMC in a statement admitted that it had itself requested the company to set up the special purpose vehicle to enter into a joint venture agreement with it.

However, a faculty member of a medical college, requesting not to be quoted, said it was strange that the details of other 14 companies, who had participated in the tendering process, had not been disclosed by PMC.

“In the statement, the PMC did not explain why it had to violate PPRA Rules 2004 under which minimum 15 days for national and 30 days for international bidding were required,” he said.

Moreover, under what rules of business and financial security guarantee PMC handed over Rs115 million collected from the students at the rate of Rs6,000 each to the special purpose vehicle company, he asked.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2021