News
Corruption allegations over NLB tenders; employees petition AG
A group of National Lotteries Board (NLB) employees have petitioned the Auditor General alleging corruption in awarding tenders.
In their petition to Auditor General Gamini Wijesinghe the employees claimed that the NLB invited bids for designing, developing, printing, bar-coding, supply and delivery of scratch-off (instant) lottery tickets on April 4 this year, although the present supplier’s contract ended last year.
Four companies submitted bids quoting prices much lower than the present supplier, but the NLB was continuing with the present supplier and dragging on the awarding of the contract though the Technical Evaluation Committee and the Standing Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committee (SCAPC) had given their recommendations, they said. “Due to this delay, the Lotteries Board is losing millions of rupees by having to pay a higher rate,” it said.
The employees also claimed that seven bids received for the July 23 tender with regard to the computerised lottery tickets had also quoted prices lower than the present supplier.
The employees who had signed the letter alleged that interested parties within the NLB were trying to award the tender to their ‘favourites’.
The employees also claimed that the current printer and supplier had violated technical specifications set out in the bidding document. According to these specifications, seen by the Sunday Times, the paper on which the ticket is printed should be 120 GSM, two side coated, matt art paper. However, lottery tickets currently on the market have been printed on poor quality 85 GSM glossy art paper.
This newspaper made several attempts to reach NLB chairperson Sharmala Perera yesterday for her comments but there was no response.