The District Institute of Recreation and Sports of Bogotá (IDRD) responded to the criticism that arose after the publication of Week on the tender for private security and surveillance services, valued at more than $140,000 million.
The entity defended the legality and transparency of the process, carried out through the Colombian Mercantile Exchange, and insisted that the principles of public procurement have been met.
In a statement, The IDRD assured that “the definition of the conditions of participation in all its processes responds to the needs of its mission and is governed by the principles of objective selection, responsibility, transparency and plurality of offerors.”
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According to the entity, the contract seeks to guarantee an efficient and safe service in the parks and sports venues of the capital.
The organization explained that the established conditions were designed to ensure equal opportunities and free competition of interested companies. According to the statement, the rules of the process were structured in a way that did not limit participation and adjusted to the guidelines of the Mercantile Exchange, in charge of the technical and economic evaluation of the bidders.
The IDRD indicated that in this contracting modality, the Mercantile Exchange is responsible for reviewing the requirements of the companies before the negotiation round takes place, in which the operator with the best economic offer is selected. “The IDRD has promoted free competition to ensure that all interested companies can participate in the contracting process,” the institution stated.
In the same statement, the entity stressed that “in no case were restrictive conditions established for exclusionary purposes” and that any company that meets the requirements can present its proposal. He added that the technical guidelines are aimed at meeting the safety standards required by the operation of the district recreation and sports system.
The statement comes after the Attorney General’s Office announced its intervention in the process, by appointing a technical table to review the details of the bidding. The call seeks to bring together representatives of the IDRD, the Mercantile Stock Exchange and the control bodies, with the purpose of examining the conditions under which the contract was structured and verifying compliance with the principles of transparency and equity.
The Attorney General’s Office explained that the review is carried out within the framework of its preventive functions and does not imply a formal opening of an investigation. However, he warned that the selection criteria and evaluation mechanisms will be analyzed to rule out possible irregularities. “In order to present the facts and clarify questions about the process, a technical panel was convened between the parties involved,” the Public Ministry said in its communication.
The call from the control body comes after allegations about the alleged lack of open competition in the bidding, revealed by Week. According to the report, the amount of the contract and the participation criteria generated concern among some bidders who considered that the conditions of the specifications could favor a limited group of companies.
The IDRD insisted that its intention has been to promote the participation of all stakeholders and guarantee efficient surveillance of its scenarios. “This process is carried out in strict compliance with current regulations and under the accompaniment of the Mercantile Exchange, which provides guarantees of transparency,” the entity stated.
From the district administration, it was reiterated that contracting through the Mercantile Exchange is a practice supported by regulations and that its use seeks to optimize public resources. It was also emphasized that the provision of security service is essential to keep the parks, sports complexes and recreational spaces managed by the IDRD in operation.
The review of the Attorney General’s Office occurs at a key moment for the entity, which in recent years has increased its budget for maintenance, security and operation of sports venues. The expectation now focuses on the results of the convened technical panel, where it is expected to establish whether the process met the criteria required by law.
Meanwhile, the IDRD reiterated that it will continue to collaborate with the control agencies and that it will publish any adjustments derived from the observations of the Attorney General’s Office. “Transparency has been and will continue to be a guiding principle of our management,” the statement concluded.
