Singapore’s competition watchdog yesterday accused three contractors of colluding to rig bids for work at the city state’s wildlife attractions.
Shin Yong Construction, Geoscapes, and Hong Power Engineering were found to have rigged bids for construction and maintenance services under invitations to quote and tender issued by Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS), said the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS).
The work pertained to four WRS’s attractions: Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari, Singapore Zoo and River Safari.
CCCS started investigating the companies after WRS complained in 2016.
“The investigation revealed that the Parties had exchanged bid information and coordinated their bids for tenders and quotations called by WRS, in order to create the false impression that independent competitive bids were submitted during the tender processes when they were not,” CCCS said.Â
The bid rigging occurred from at least 1 July 2015 to 6 October 2016, said the watchdog.
The companies were yesterday each issued a Proposed Infringement Decision (PID), a written notice setting out CCCS’s case so that the accused can provide information before CCCS determines financial penalties. They have five weeks to respond.
CCCS’s Leniency Programme offers incentives to businesses caught participating in cartels who come forward with information.
Image: White tigers play in the pool at Singapore Zoo (Basile Morin/CC BY-SA 4.0)
