The Service Ghana Auto Group Limited (SGAGL) has refuted claims of not qualifying for its contract with the government for the after-sales and maintenance of 307 ambulances.
This comes after concerns were raised about the qualification of the company for the contract.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has indicated for instance that the company was handpicked without a competitive procurement process.
SGAGL in a statement sighted by Citi News on Thursday noted that it “takes a serious view of utterly false claims and outright lies about its contract with the government for after-sales service and maintenance for 307 ambulances.”
“Notice is hereby served on those peddling the false allegations including by the media without attempts to verify same, that they, particularly the unprofessional and uncritical media shall be held liable for reckless damage to genuine business and reputations.”
SGAGL stressed that the companies the transaction have at all material times, including during the competitive procurement processes, conducted themselves with integrity and complying with due process of law.
“SGAGL is an SPV of a consortium of 7 companies that participated in a competitive procurement process, not sole sourced, and adjudged on merit to procure, and to provide After-Saies Service and Maintenance for 307 Mercedes Benz Sprinter Ambulances for the National Ambulance Service (NAS). The competitive procurement process commenced by the Ministry of Special Development Initiatives via an Invitation for Tenders dated 15th November 2018 with reference number MSDl/lPEP/AMB/RST/2018 for 275 units of 4×4 Ambulance Vehicles (varied to 4×2 for 307 vehicles).”
“A total of 16 companies participated inclusive of the 7 companies that eventually formed the Consortium during the pre-tender workshop round and they are: Luxury World Auto Group Limited, Elok Consult, RDC Company Limited, Beft Engineering Works Limited, Prestige Era Company Limited, Bluemix Company Limited, Quality Supply and Builders Company Limited.”
“These companies came together, leveraging their expertise and resources, and emerged with exceptional value-for-money proposition in their compelling lowest bid of $133,000 per ambulance, compared to offers by competitors including Silver Star Auto Limited, ranging from $250,000 to $300,000 as revealed by the Tender Evaluation Report. The Consortium’s Turkey-based supplier, EMS Mobil Sistemler AS AQ by letter dated 22nd February, 2019, obtained manufacturer’s authorisation from Mercedes Benz, an essential prerequisite for participation in the process,” it further said.
SGAGL noted that the manufacturer’s authorisation for the medical equipment to be installed in the ambulance vehicles was also duly obtained from the EMSA AMBULANCES by letter dated 23rd February, 2019, another critical tender requirement.
“The authorisation provides a warranty guarantee for the medical equipment and ambulances. In full compliance with tender specifications, a comprehensive on-site inspection of the suppliers’ facilities was undertaken with technical officers of the NAS, Ghana Health Service, Ministry of Health and two other relevant sector ministries in Turkey and Amsterdam at the expense of the Consortium.”
“The individual companies in the Consortium had specific allocations and duly supplied the ambulances, paying all applicable duties and insurance costs in full for seamless delivery of same,” it stated.
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