GMR-Megawide 'quite alarmed' by NAIA consortium’s plan to tweak proposal

MANILA, Philippines — Listed builder Megawide Construction Corp. and its Indian partner, GMR, on Thursday said they’re “quite alarmed” by competitor “super” consortium’s plan to tweak their submitted proposal to rehabilitate the 70-year-old Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

 

“An unsolicited proposal, once submitted, should be evaluated as is,” GMR-Megawide said in a press statement. “Their suggested ‘tweaks’ involve changing cornerstones of their proposal.”

 

The remarks came after a team of seven conglomerates that is also eyeing to upgrade Manila’s aging airport said they’re willing to shorten their earlier proposed concession period to fit the government’s preference.

 

Last month, the NAIA consortium, which has a combined capitalization of more than P2.2 trillion, announced they submitted a $6.7-billion offer to upgrade the country's main international gateway. It proposed a concession period of 35 years.

 

GMR-Megawide later announced they want to give NAIA a $3-billion makeover with an 18-year concession, which includes construction of taxiways and extension of secondary runway, among others.

 

GMR-Megawide has in the past been awarded the contracts for upgrades to international airports in Cebu and in Clark, Pampanga.

In the same statement, GMR-Megawide said NAIA consortium’s proposal should be properly revised and re-submitted to the government. 

 

“We are very much concerned that this tweaking of proposals after they have submitted and deemed complete will put into question the integrity of the process for evaluation of all unsolicited proposals,” the pair said.

 

“We encourage the NAIA consortium to commit to the proposal that they have submitted.  It will now be up to the government to evaluate and decide which proposal best serves the needs of its people,” they added.

 

Once approved, an unsolicited proposal will undergo a Swiss challenge system, whereby third parties can submit competing offers while the original proponent will be given the right to match these offers.