New tender planned for Tripoli Port operator

Qaisi: Old tender cancelled due to lack of competition, new one in a month

A new tender for the management of the Port of Tripoli will be launched soon, according to Abdul Hafiz al Qaisi, general director of the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation.

The contract was set to be awarded through a tender finalized last month. “The first tender was cancelled due to the absence of competition,” said Qaisi. A new tender will be launched within one month.

Seven companies had reportedly applied for the tender, but six of them later withdrew their interest. The only bidder left was UAE-based firm Gulftainer. Media reports last month said that Gulftainer had won the deal with its $65 million-offer. They also said the company is just awaiting the permission of the ministry to proceed. “These are all false claims. The tender was not even opened, so we don’t know the number it entailed,” Qaisi said.

The bid is for a Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) management contract for cargo handling, civil works, and all other facilities at the port. The company assigned will finance, design, procure, build, operate, and maintain civil works and buildings at the Port of Tripoli for 25 years. At the end of the contract period, it will transfer the facilities to the Tripoli Port Authority.

A tender for the construction of infrastructure was opened on July 12, said Ahmad Tamer, director of the port authority. Three local companies applied for the project, which is estimated to cost around $55 million. Infrastructure construction includes building administrative premises, warehouses, a fire station, control rooms, a water reservoir and pumping station, a power generating plant, and four electrical substations. The project also includes the construction of flexible asphalt pavements.

A total of $145 million was allocated for the expansion and rehabilitation of the port. Upgrades are expected to take two years to complete.

Reported by Hanadi Chami