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Sur
Construction S.C., a firm under the EFFORT umbrella, was the only
local company to challenge foreign companies, mainly from Europe, in
their bid to take over the most daunting and expensive project in
the rehabilitation of the 89-year old Ethio-Djibouti Railway.
Sur was the
only Ethiopian company to attend the Tuesday, June 27th pretender
meeting at the Addis Abeba Enterprise headquarters. It is competing
against five European companies and one South African to
rehabilitate 114Km of the 781Km railway, stretching from Dire Dawa
to Dewele station and around Hurrso.
Hutine Montate
Ltd and Doprastav a.s from Slovakia, Hauring bou GmbH from Germany,
Consta from Italy, TSO SA from France and Grainker Lennings Rail
Services from South Africa will challenge Sur in their bid.
Named after a
spring in Tigray, Sur was first established in 1992 with a 100
million Br capital. It was later reorganized with its shares
redistributed among five shareholders, four of them being EFFORT or
other companies within its holdings. Beginning from the martyrs’
monument in Mekelle, Sur has been involved in major national
construction activities, including the 67.6 million Br Gonder-Metema
road as well as hydroelectric projects at Tis Abbay II and Tekeze,
the latter in a joint venture arrangement with Chinese companies.
The tender to
select the company that will be awarded the European Union (EU)
financed project was opened two months ago. The result will be made
public on August 8, 2006.
Rehabilitaing
the railway by upgrading the rail from 20Kg to 40Kg is a
prerequisite for Comozar, a South African company, to start its
concession deal with the Ethiopian and Djibouti governments. The
25-year concession is still in negotiation.
Once signed,
Comozar plans to bring 46 new locomotives and 600 wagons, according
to its officials.
For the
rehabilitation tender, the Enterprise hired British consultancy
firm, Jaccobs Gibb, in February 2006. The hired consultants, along
with Enterprise managers, briefed the bidder representatives at the
meeting on Tuesday. Bidders were then taken on a two-day field trip.
The EU is
expected to finance up to 40 million euro for the rehabilitation
program, according to officials at the Enterprise.
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