Sri Lanka, Aug. 14 -- According to the senior engineer, the fundamental issue is not whether the Road Development Authority (RDA) has followed procurement procedures, but whether the conditions set for the tender will actually create sufficient competition.

"The basic rule of public procurement is simple. The more qualified contractors competing for a project, the greater the pressure on them to offer competitive prices. If you have only a handful of contractors competing for a large number of packages, that pressure disappears," the engineer told the Daily Mirror.

The RDA published the Invitation for Bids for Central Expressway Project Section 4 (CEP 4), Kurunegala to Dambulla, on July 30, covering 12 contract packages with a combine...