Central Expressway;Govt to look for local construction firms

19 December 2015 09:02 am

In a major policy decision, the Government has decided to implement the Central Expressway Project (CEP) with inputs from local construction firms, joint ventures or consortiums. 
In line with the new policy, Section 3 of the CEP from Pothuhera to Galagedara via Rambukkana which is 32.5km in length will be divided into five contract packages and handed over to local constructors for completion within 36 months.
Each package will have an estimated cost and distance of 4.5 to 7.5km. A Cabinet memorandum presented by Higher Education and Highways Minister Lakshman Kiriella states that the Road Development Authority (RDA) expected to select suitable local construction firms thorough a tender procedure.
“To construct the road, construction firms should obtain the necessary funds from local or international banks in Sri Lanka, with the loans to be paid back by the Government in 15 years with a grace period of three years on rupee terms,” he stated in his memo.
The selected consultancy firm should obtain a loan from local or international banks in Sri Lanka to cover consultancy fees which would be repaid by the Government within 15 years with a three-year grace period. The bid value is between Rs.5 billion and Rs.20 billion and those bidding must be experienced in the construction of highways/bridges with a minimum combined value of Rs.2 billion within the past 15 years.
The Treasury will appoint a Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committee (CAPC) and Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) for the purpose of evaluating the prequalifications and technical and financial proposals submitted by the construction firms.
The CEP was initiated by the Mahinda Rajapaksa administration with funds from China.(Sandun A Jayasekera)