Second-ranked CAAP files appeal against Airport Tender Commission decision

The Luxembourg-American company Corporación América Airports (CAAP), which came second in the tender for the concession for Montenegrin airports, filed an appeal today against the decision of the Tender Commission, "Vijesti" has learned.

The appeal has been submitted to the State Concessions Commission, which has one month to decide on the appeal.

For any other objections, there will be a wait of three more days, as some can be submitted by mail, said a source for "Vijesti".

The South Korean company "Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) received 96,18 points and was ranked first in the tender for the concession for Montenegrin airports, while the Luxembourg-American CAAP ranked second with 65,15 points.

On July 17, the Ministry of Transport published the ranking list of bidders in the concession award procedure, in accordance with the Concession Act for the award of the concession for the Airports of Montenegro.

Bidders have the right to submit an objection to the Concessions Commission of Montenegro within 15 days from the date of publication of the ranking list.

The President of the Tender Commission, Minister of Economic Development and Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Policy Nik Đeljošaj, said in parliament on July 26 that bidders for potential concessions for the Podgorica and Tivat airports had announced appeals to the tender procedure, and that they were waiting for the end of July to receive more information.

Đeljošaj then stressed that he believes that Tivat and Podgorica airports are already providing the maximum, and that with these capacities they cannot accommodate more flights. He stressed that the Tender Commission for considering the airport concession has completed its part of the work and that they have sent the documentation to the Ministry of Transport.

"If there are no complaints, we expect the Government to make a decision on this in the first week after August 1. If there are complaints, the procedure will be even longer. In the letters we received from the bidders, they indicated that there will be complaints. Our information is that all three of the last bidders who remained in the final requested access to the documentation of the Ministry of Transport. That is their right, we are waiting for July 31st to see how the procedure will proceed. As for the question of whether there was corruption, I do not determine that, I hope that the procedure... I think there is an initiative by MANS to deal with it," he said at the time, adding that as the president of the Tender Commission, he would be happy to provide all the necessary information.