Malawi’s Central Region Water Board (CRWB) is inviting bids for the supply and instal- lation of equipment and the rehabilitation and expansion of the Kasungu municipality’s water supply infrastructure.

The project, part of the second phase of Malawi’s multi- million-dollar National Water Development Programme, which is backed by a pool of donors led by the World Bank, will be financed by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries Fund for International Develop-ment.

“Bidding will be conducted through the international com- petitive bidding procedures specified in the World Bank’s guidelines and is open to all contractors from eligible source countries as defined in the bidding documents,” says the CRWB’s Maclenan Nyang’wa.

The contract will involve the construction of two reinforced-concrete clarifier tanks, one reinforced-concrete rapid sand filter, the removal of existing surface pumps and the supply and installation of six new surface pumps at a water treatment plant, as well as another two at the Nguluyanawambe dam.

It also entails supplying and laying 43 000 m of transmission and distribution pipelines ranging from 63 mm to 400 mm in diameter, the construction of pumpstations, the supply and installation of four new surface pumps and the construction of a 450 m3 reinforced-concrete tank at Nguluyanawambe, besides others.

Eligible bidders are those that previously participated as contractors, management contractors or subcontractors in at least three contracts similar to the proposed works within the last five years, each with a value of at least $1-million.

“The bidder must demonstrate access to or availability of finan- cial resources such as liquid assets, unencumbered real assets, lines of credit and other financial means other than any contractual advance payments to meet cash flow requirements of at least $1-million.

The bidder should also demonstrate a minimum average annual turnover of $4- million calculated as total certified payments received for contracts in progress or completed within the last three years.”

He says bidding documents may be obtained on payment of a nonrefundable fee of $200, or its equivalent.

The deadline for the sub- mission of bids is March 22.