In an attempt to automate the services of Alexandria’s public prosecution office, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology issued a tender Tuesday to attract bids to build an information network and supply the office with contemporary communication devices.
The automated services tender comes within the framework of the ministry’s larger attempts to retrofit the largely antiquated technological infrastructure of various government agencies.
The Ministry of Communications will use the two-envelope systems to decide how to award the contracts. The double-envelope system separates the technical proposal of the contract’s parameters from the financing proposal into two separately sealed envelopes. The ministry will accept technical and financial bids for prospective contractors until 9 March.
Initial estimates from the ministry suggest that the implementation of the project will take five months.
The terms of the tender stipulated that companies competing for the contract are disallowed from fixing the price of supplies until the project has been implemented, an issue of concern for potential contractors given the volatile state of the Egyptian pound that has been subjected to continued devaluation on the foreign exchange market.
The Ministry of Communications’ tender will ensure the provision of communication devices and the development of a information network for the following institutions: the Alexandria Courts Complex, the Marine Court, the Alexandria Court of First Instance, the Maharram Bek Court, the Dekhela Court, the Borg El-Arab Court, and the ports prosecution office of Alexandria.
The Ministry of Communications developed a plan to implement three projects using the public private partnership system (PPP). These projects will automate commercial registry and notary offices, relying on investments of approximately EGP 2bn. The project will also provide funding and technical oversight for the manufacturing of 40m smart meters at the cost of EGP 10m.
