Lebanon launches mechanical inspection tender: A step towards enhanced road safety

Caretaker Minister of Interior Bassam Mawlawi announced during a joint press conference with the Chairman of the Public Procurement Authority, Jean Ellieh, the launch of a mechanical inspection tender. 

He stated that this is stipulated by law and is necessary to secure the state's and citizens' rights regarding service and safety, emphasizing that it is a significant step towards road safety, which should be integrated with all state activities, including road infrastructure.

Mawlawi noted, "As for the contract with the Valle company, it expired in 2013, and the Cabinet extended it until 2015. After that, the company continued to operate without legal justification, which prompted us to send a letter to the Cassation Public Prosecution due to imposing fees on citizens without legal grounds."

"Based on this, we suspended the company's operations and worked diligently to draft new tender conditions that ensure fair competition under the supervision of Jean Ellieh," he added.

He stressed that they are committed to the safety and rights of citizens and will not accept the squandering of their money or the state's funds.

Mawlawi explained that the State Shura Council annulled a tender in 2018 because it was conducted for an entity other than the Traffic Management Authority, expressing his refusal "to criticize the tender without reviewing it, and they do not want to inspect it." He also mentioned that the Public Procurement Authority has completed the tender conditions.

He stated, "Two days ago, the  Court of Audit issued a consultative opinion with judicial status, in response to a request from the Traffic Management Authority, regarding the payment method and the work deadline for Inkript company, which suspended the public facility in violation of the law."

In turn, Ellieh stated, "This is the first time that a tender for mechanical inspection centers is attended with a transparent set of conditions that no one except the experts who worked on it and supervised it had any involvement in."