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La Voz de Andalucía

Almonte's 'Tailored' Reports Lead to Less Favorable Water Contract Award

Municipal management in Almonte has prioritized technical reports over economic criteria, resulting in an award proposal that entails a direct loss of revenue for the City Council.

Official documents and a gavel on a desk, symbolizing an administrative or legal process.
IA

Official documents and a gavel on a desk, symbolizing an administrative or legal process.

Municipal management in Almonte has led to a water contract award proposal that, according to reports, does not align with the most economically advantageous offer for the City Council, prioritizing technical assessments over direct financial impact.

The tender process for the water supply, sewerage, and wastewater treatment contract in Almonte, covering Matalascañas, El Rocío, the Matalagrana industrial estate, and the urban core, has sparked controversy. Valued at 188.5 million euros, extendable to over 215 million with extensions, the final proposal was not awarded to the bid representing the greatest economic benefit for the Consistory.
FCC Aqualia had committed 23 million euros, including an initial fee of 18 million and a construction fund of 5 million over the 25-year concession. Meanwhile, Sacyr-Orthen proposed continuous investment of 210,000 euros annually, totaling 5.25 million over the period, bringing its global commitment to 21.9 million euros. Despite these economic advantages, neither was decisive in the final outcome of the tender.
The reason for this decision lies in a technical gap of more than 17 points in favor of UTE Aqualmonte, achieved through criteria subject to subjective judgment. This difference, considered unusual in tenders of this magnitude, allowed for compensation of a lower direct economic contribution to municipal coffers, shifting the decisive weight from financial to technical criteria.
This imbalance occurred after the elimination of an initial technical report, prepared by Aymed, which was discarded due to omissions and inconsistencies. The need for a second corrective report, prepared by Are Asesores, allowed for the establishment of a significant technical difference that tipped the scales towards UTE Aqualmonte, subordinating the economic comparison to a subjective assessment.
Furthermore, the involvement of Are Asesores was not known to the bidders until March 26, preventing them from exercising their right to challenge. The technician who signed the Are Asesores report, Ángel Cárdenas, was previously manager of Aqualia in Algeciras and of the joint venture Emalgesa, being dismissed in July 2008 for “irregular management.” This fact, had it been known, would have led to a challenge due to a conflict of interest, according to the company itself.

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