On January 31, 2025, the Public Procurement Committee of the Autonomous Port of Nouakchott awarded a contract for the supply of a maritime tugboat to the Turkish company UZmar, despite it submitting the highest bid among competing firms.
This decision was made after two previous tenders were canceled, with the second being rejected due to insufficient technical capacity of the required tugboat, followed by an adjustment in the third tender.
Complaint Filed with the Regulatory Authority
The Damen & Atlantic Logistics consortium filed an official complaint with the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority, accusing port officials and the procurement committee of favoring the Turkish company and deliberately preventing it from winning the contract despite meeting the necessary requirements.
The consortium argues that awarding the contract to UZmar violates the fundamental principles of public procurement, particularly fair competition, transparency, and economic efficiency.
It demanded the cancellation of the contract award to UZmar and ensured the fair and transparent application of public procurement rules.
The consortium also expressed hope that the regulatory authority would issue a fair and just decision, stating its readiness to provide additional information to ensure that the Nouakchott Port receives the best deal in terms of quality and cost.
Historic:
According to documents and data published by Al-Akhbar, three companies competed in the final version of the tender: two Turkish firms, UZmar and Gelibolu Shipyard, and a joint venture consisting of Damen (Netherlands) and Atlantic Logistics (Mauritania).
The bids submitted were as follows:
- UZmar (Turkey): €8,988,000
- Damen & Atlantic Logistics (Netherlands & Mauritania): €8,792,700
- Gelibolu Shipyard (Turkey): €7,380,000
The lowest bidder, Gelibolu Shipyard, was disqualified by the Port’s Public Procurement Committee for technical reasons, as was the Dutch-Mauritanian consortium Damen-Atlantic Logistics, despite its century-long experience and previous dealings with the Nouakchott Port.
A Series of Canceled Tenders
The first open tender was launched on July 2, 2024, requiring a tugboat with a minimum power of 5,000 horsepower. Only Damen & Atlantic Logistics and Gelibolu Shipyard participated, but the latter submitted its application in Turkish and provided its financial guarantee in cash.
Later, the port canceled the tender, claiming that the submitted proposals exceeded the allocated budget. However, Damen & Atlantic Logistics offered a cost reduction, but the port did not respond to their proposal.
A second tender was announced on October 2, 2024, this time requiring a tugboat with a power range of 3,700 to 4,200 horsepower, instead of the previous 5,000 horsepower requirement.
Three companies participated:
- Damen & Atlantic Logistics (Netherlands & Mauritania)
- NAVTEK (Turkey)
- UZmar (Turkey)
However, NAVTEK was eliminated due to an incomplete file. UZmar submitted a bid of €9,005,000 excluding taxes, despite the tender specifications requiring an all-inclusive amount. Damen & Atlantic Logistics submitted a bid of €9,068,850, including taxes.
The National Committee for Public Procurement Oversight then canceled the tender once again.
Back to Square One
In November 2024, a third tender was launched, raising the required power range from 3,700 – 4,200 to 4,000 – 5,000 horsepower.
Three companies submitted their bids:
- Damen & Atlantic Logistics (Netherlands & Mauritania): €9,068,850 (including taxes)
- UZmar (Turkey): €9,005,000
- Gelibolu Shipyard (Turkey), which submitted its file in English instead of the required French, leading to its disqualification.
After Gelibolu Shipyard was eliminated, the competition was reduced to Damen & Atlantic Logistics and UZmar. Although Damen & Atlantic Logistics submitted the lowest bid, the contract was awarded to UZmar for €8,988,000.
According to sources within the Public Procurement Oversight Committee, Damen & Atlantic Logistics was disqualified due to technical deficiencies and because the Mauritanian partner did not meet the required percentage of similar past projects.
Source: Newavedh
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