Council inquires on status of privatization of trash collection

THE Bacolod City Council is inquiring from the Office of the Mayor regarding the status of the move to privatize the city's garbage collection.

The proposed privatization of garbage collection and disposal and the possibility of realigning the unused portion of the budget might be considered, as it might fund the urgent needs and other priority projects of Bacolod City prior to the end of the year.

Councilor Dindo Ramos said the city has appropriated an amount of P72 million intended for the privatization of garbage collection and disposal for May to December 2012.

It said the bidding was conducted sometime in May but until now, the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) has not yet declared who between the participating bidders has tendered the lowest calculated bid, contrary to the provision of R.A. 9184 which stipulated that BAC will declare the lowest calculated bid within seven days from its opening.

He said the inaction of the BAC has caused embarrassments and humiliation to the City Government, as payment of fuel and gasoline expenses cannot be made as it was already included in the budget for garbage privatization and disposal.

The amount of P72 million has been idle in the coffers of the City Government, which resulted to the deprivation of the delivery of basic services to its constituents to this huge amount which is quite unconscionable, it said.

The budget of P72 million was arrived at by computing the estimated expenses for privatization of garbage collection and disposal at P9 million per month for eight months.

However, since five months had already passed from May 2012, the city has already an unused budget for garbage collection and disposal in the sum of P45 million which the city could use in the delivery of basic services, it said.

The city could not just sit down and wait until eternity when the BAC would eventually decide to declare the lowest calculated bid, as this has already caused a lot of disservice to the city's constituents, the resolution said.

Hence, the city may use its ingenuity in order to maximize its resources by allowing the realignment of the unused portion of the P72 million budget for its other priority projects while the issue of who will be the lowest calculated bidder is still pending before the BAC.

Meanwhile, General Services Officer Jerome Solinap, who assumed as BAC chairman recently, said they are still reviewing the transaction and that the BAC will eventually act on it, based on the recommendation of the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB).

DynamicBuilders and Construction Co. won the bidding for the garbage collection and hauling services last May but the BAC disqualified the firm during the post-qualification stage.

The BAC decision was based on the GPPB opinion stating that the business permit of the construction firm does not include hauling services.