Sri Lanka’s government has been facing allegations of corruption in the procurement process for its new electronic toll collection (ETC) system. The Road Development Authority (RDA) put out a call for bids, promising the winning company a lucrative contract to install the system on a Build, Own, and Operate (BOO) basis.
However, the tender process has been riddled with problems. The RFP was vague and incomplete, leaving many companies confused and discouraged. The excessive CCTV requirements seemed more like a surveillance project than a toll system. And to top it off, only one bidder remains in the running, raising concerns about the fairness of the process.
The government’s rush to implement the ETC system, motivated by the loss of millions to toll booth theft, may have led them to overlook important details and compromise the integrity of the procurement process.
