The repair of the Darnytskyi Bridge in Kyiv is at risk. And all because of letters – uppercase and lowercase. How did this happen? НАШІ ГРОШІ investigated the complicated story surrounding the tender for 440 million hryvnias, which serves as an example of how bureaucracy can "break" millions.
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SubscribeSeveral companies competed for the repair of the Darnytskyi Bridge. In the price auction held in September, "Bridge Construction Team No. 112" won by offering to complete the work for 438 million UAH. Their competitor, "Automagistral-Yug," requested more – 440 million UAH. The choice seemed obvious. But it turned out otherwise.
Kievavtodor decided to reject the cheaper bid, claiming that the experience of "Bridge Construction Team" did not meet the tender requirements. And all because of... the wording "Customer" with an uppercase letter.
In the tender documentation, Kievavtodor asked participants to provide letters from customers confirming their experience. "Bridge Construction Team No. 112" submitted three such letters, including one from "Eco-Construction-Trade," for which they built the Podil Bridge.
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Yet the tender documentation clearly states: the letter can also be from the general contractor. The issue lies in the fact that the word "Customer" was written both with an uppercase and a lowercase letter. Kievavtodor decided to use this as a reason to reject the winner.
Outcome: an expensive contract with inflated prices
After rejecting "Bridge Construction Team," the contract was awarded to "Automagistral-Yug." Auditors from the State Audit Office (GASU) noted the peculiarities regarding the letters and discovered inflated prices in the estimate. For example:
- Metal structures in the estimate are priced at 221 thousand UAH per ton, while the market price is a maximum of 189 thousand UAH.
- Asphalt will cost 7 thousand UAH per ton – this is above the average market prices.
The price difference could amount to approximately 30 million hryvnias.
What’s next?
Kievavtodor disagreed with the auditors' findings and filed a lawsuit against them. Now the bridge repair is in limbo: the court may terminate the contract with "Automagistral-Yug," but this will delay the work.
The story involving uppercase letters sounds like a joke, but its consequences are quite real. And while the bridge awaits repairs, Kyiv seems to be stuck again in a bureaucratic jam.