TI Georgia points to alleged “customized” Georgian Railway tender for Russian companies

Transparency International Georgia on Friday said the Georgian Railway had announced about $68 mln tender for the purchase of electric trains allegedly only for Russian companies as only those companies have been allowed to participate in it which have certificates issued by the Eurasian Union established by Russia. 

 

The organization said the tender suppliers would be able to submit their proposals from December 3 to 5, and the winner must deliver the electric locomotives by the end of 2024.

 

“The documentation uploaded to the procurement website states that the company wishing to participate in the procurement must submit: “a certificate of compliance with the requirements of “НБ ЖТ ЦТ 04-1998” or “ТР ТС 001/2011” issued to the offered goods [“Safety norms for railway transport. Electric vehicles. “Certification requirements” or “Conformity with the requirements of the technical regulations of the Customs Union”], which must be issued by an accredited organization provided for in the register of the Council of Railway Transport of the Commonwealth of Nations (CIS)”, TI Georgia said. 

 

TI Georgia explained the Customs Union meant the Eurasian Customs Union, which is part of the Eurasian Economic Union (Eurasian Union) established by Russia and includes Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan.  It stressed the tender “directly violates the fair and non-discriminatory approach to procurement participants” and urged the State Procurement Agency and the Competition Agency to study the restrictive conditions of competition in the said tender and to take the measures defined by the law.