According to Deputy Spokesperson at MoHA Prahlad Pokharel, the decision was taken with a view to make the bidding process more competitive. “We have decided to extend the deadline to allow prospective bidders more time and ensure participation of more bidders,” he said.[break]
Pokharel said some 49 international bidders have purchased tender forms for the national ID card projects. “The decision to extend the deadline was taken keeping in view the concerns of some of the prospective bidders who complained that they did not have enough time to participate in the bid,” he said.
The National ID Management Center (NIDMC) had first announced global tender on April 29 with a 45-day deadline. The deadline was later extended for 15 days to ensure participation of more firms in the multimillion-dollar project.
The government´s multi-million dollar project to distribute biometric national ID cards courted controversy after nearly a dozen aspiring international bidders lodged complaints that the tender specifications were manipulated to suit the interests of one specific company. They claimed that only one company will be in the fray if the specifications were not amended.
An internal investigation by MoHA suspended a technical official involved in the manipulation of the specifications and also made amendments to some of the specifications made in the original tender invitation. However, there are still concerns that the amendments have made the database management system and biometrics, also known as Automated Fingerprint Identification System, vulnerable.
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