THE Chinese suppliers are not happy with the ‘restrictive’ conditions in the tender floated by the Pakistan Railways for the procurement of 150 new locomotives. In their meeting with the railway officials on Monday, they politely conveyed their resentment over the specifications of locomotives that exclude them from the competition and facilitate their rival, an American company. They have also warned that their expulsion (albeit on technical grounds) from the bid would raise the cost of procurement of locomotives. It is not known why PR has drafted conditions that benefit an American manufacturer and keep the Chinese suppliers out of the reckoning. The point made by the Chinese manufacturers must be looked into and the railway authorities should come clean on it. Just blaming the Chinese manufacturers for the poor quality of engines provided to the railway for keeping them out of the competition will not do, particularly when most of the damage to them has been done because of lack of funds for their proper maintenance and upkeep.

But the tender for the new locomotives is not the only issue hampering the relationship between the Chinese manufacturers and PR. The railway is also dragging its feet on an earlier agreement for the purchase of 75 locomo-tives from China. With the department facing an acute shortage of locomotives to keep its trains running, it needs to move on the fast track to acquire the new engines. The railways’ treatment of the Chinese suppliers who appear to be willing to do business that will help put our trains back on the rails is perplexing. The railway authorities should not forget that it was Chinese locomotive manufacturers who came to PR’s rescue by providing 69 locomotives on credit when no one was ready to deal with us in the wake of the nuclear tests. The same locomotives are still pulling our trains. If the railway authorities have reservations about the Chinese offer, these should be clearly enunciated. The larger interest of the railways calls for greater transparency in its procurements. It calls for greater and fair competition among manufacturers.