The countdown to February 12 has begun, the date when the candidates for one of the most important businesses that the Nation can offer to multinational private capital this year will be known. International dredging companies are eligible to participate, but some have filed judicial and administrative presentations in clear disagreement with certain conditions of the bidding document, arguing that they favor the company Jan de Nul, the current service provider on the Main Navigable Waterway (VNT) through which 80% of the grain exports from Argentina and Paraguay pass.
Representatives of the Port Chamber and the Exporters' Chambers are waiting for the resolution of the bidding process. Companies like Dredging International (DEME) and Rhode Nielsen have expressed objections to the terms and conditions of the bidding, pointing out restrictions that favor Jan De Nul. Meanwhile, the Chinese company CCCC has faced problems due to its connection with the State of the People's Republic of China, while the Dutch companies Boskalis and Van Oord have filed administrative complaints without resorting to judicial measures.
On February 12, five companies will present, including Jan de Nul, Van Oord, Boskalis, DEME, and Rhode Nielsen, to obtain the bid that will allow them to bill around 410 million dollars a year for three decades. DEME GROUP has appealed a judicial decision against it, which will be evaluated by the Chamber in Administrative Litigation before the deadline for resolution.
In the political environment, the competition for the bid has generated tensions among different sectors. It is expected that at least two companies will compete on price for the benefit of the Nation. The Danish firm has requested the annulment of the bidding documents and the suspension of the bidding until resolving a claim related to specific technical requirements they consider exclusive.
The possibility of dredging the riverbed is a task for few companies, justifying the exclusivity in the bidding due to the technical complexity. The final resolution will be crucial for the actors present in the Paraná-Paraguay Waterway, who are waiting for a definition that has been postponed for years and that will impact overall logistics costs.
