Thai government's panel selecting winning bidders

BANGKOK, May 4 (TNA) - A technical committee is expected to spend at least three weeks in selecting winning bidding firms to undertake the Thai government-sponsored new mega-water management projects, totally worth about 350 billion baht. Speaking during the weekly TV and radio broadcast of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Saturday, Thongthong Chandrangsu, Permanent Secretary for the Prime Minister’s Office, who also heads a screening committee for the projects, told the public that, after the selection of the successful winning firms is complete, the government-run National Water Resources and Flood Policy Committee (NWRFPC) will be first informed, before the information is passed to the Thai Cabinet. Thongthong acknowledged that official contracts will then be signed with the winning companies, which are required to obtain a minimum of 80 marks from the technical committee before their bidding will be considered and the firms which receive highest marks will be given the chance to negotiate on the projects first, with the negotiations expected to be concluded within two months. Four investment groups submitted bidding to the selection committee on Friday, while the mega projects are divided into 10 modules, including dams, water retention areas, floodways and dykes. (TNA)