Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and its contract firm Computer Network System Limited or CNS have given separate and almost similar rejoinders on the news 'Single organisation mysteriously gets all BRTA jobs' published 29 May in Prothom Alo. They claimed the news is 'false and 'malafide'.
Certain conditions are set in every tender so that no organisation other than CNS has the scope to get the work.
About this, BRTA in the rejoinder said they have given the work order in accordance with the public procurement rules. They have given least conditions to select contractors for collecting tax and fees from vehicles too. Any organisation can participate in it. BRTA procures services through competition.
CNS claims they are getting work orders due to their skills and through competition. BRTA and the National Board of Revenue (NBR) had earned Tk 5 billion before CNS got the work in 2010. However, the revenue income stands at Tk 32 billion currently.
BRTA signed an agreement with CNS to scan vehicles' registration related files and to keep them in online archives. Under the agreement, CNS will take Tk 6.28 for scanning per page.
About this BRTA and CNS said alongside scanning, the expenditure includes supplying different equipment, vehicles and foreign trips of officials. The cost of scanning every page is Tk 2.50.
About engaging CNS for the development of vehicle inspection centre (VIC), BRTA said they held a series of meetings with South Korea, but they didn't show interest. CNS got the work by offering competitive price. On the contrary, CNS said they offered Tk 150 million less than a foreign firm that was in the second position.
CNS said they got Tk 2.40 billion from BRTA in last ten years. They do not have business of Tk 6.50 billion with BRTA.
Our reply
Conditions for previous experience were not given when CNS was given the work of collecting fees and tax in 2010. They had no agreement or MoUs with any bank. After getting the work, they made agreement with banks. Afterwards, CNS got same works twice through tenders. BRTA sets conditions of prior agreements with banks in these two phases of works. Conditions for work experience and type were set in such a way so that CNS can only fulfill. CNS would not qualify if these conditions were set in the first phase.
Although BRTA claimed they procure services through competition, except CNS, not more than one or two become qualified in their tenders. There is talk in the road transport ministry that some of these organisations participate as dummies.
Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Service (BASIS) said they have 1,600 members capable of performing such work. Others cannot sustain due to conditions in favour of CNS. The claim of offering work through 'competition' is not true.
The government's policy to build Digital Bangladesh is the result of collecting tax and fees through online banking. It is not the credit of CNS. After 2009, the number of vehicles increases by 2.5 million. After the recruitment of CNS, the rules are introduced to collect advance tax from motorised vehicle owners. So the CNS's claim is not logical that they increased the government's revenue after taking charge of work in 2010.
BRTA and CNS said alongside scanning, the expenditure includes supplying different equipment, vehicles and foreign trips of officials.
This argument is not acceptable. During the coronavirus pandemic, foreign trips under the government projects are suspended. Purchasing cars have also been discouraged. Besides, for the work of collecting fees and tax, CNS has taken money from BRTA mentioning supply of same equipment every time. Ambiguity in the supply of equipment is a much-talked about issue at BRTA.
Five items of vehicle inspection centre (VIC) were bought on foreign credit and remained idle for about two decades. South Korea installed one free of cost in Mirpur in 2018. BRTA's claim is conflicting that South Korea did not show interest to expand the system.
CNS has been working five types of work for about a decade. All these works involve Tk 6.50 billion. There is a proof of it in official records. All information of Prothom Alo correspondent is correct. And statements of all parties have been given.