The National Development Bank (BNF) is conducting a public bid for 135.853 billion guaranis (about US$22 million) to contract a new "banking core" system, essential for the state bank's management. The process, registered as National Public Bid LPN No. 8/2026 (ID 480.207), requires integration with the electronic billing system already in use by the institution, but official documents from the National Directorate of Public Procurement (DNCP) show that specific technical details would be determined during implementation.
In two formal inquiries (13 and 14), the company Softshop S.A. requested details about the electronic billing middleware, documented APIs, inventory of satellite systems, and integration responsibilities with the National Integrated Electronic Billing System (Sifen). BNF responded that such information would only be gathered during contract execution or the analysis phase, and that an independent electronic billing platform was not part of the scope unless offered as "added value" by bidders.
According to ABC Color, BNF's electronic billing system, Factury, is developed by Printing Distribution and Logistics SA (IDL SA), a Vázquez Group company, and IDL's legal representative, César Astigarraga Lambaré, also heads ITTI Saeca. The newspaper reported that leaving the technical details to later stages could give ITTI an advantage because of its knowledge of the related platform. The report alleged possible favoritism toward allies of President Santiago Peña; the official DNCP record documents the questions and responses but does not prove that allegation.
BNF, chaired by Manuel Ochipintti Dalla Fontana, defended the process in a statement to ABC Color, calling it "open, public, and competitive." The general manager, César Vargas, stated that the limited participation of only ITTI and Softshop reflected "commercial and strategic decisions" by the companies, and that adjustments to the bid terms included requirements from International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Vargas acknowledged that the current system has limitations for digital transformation.
According to ABC Color, the technical evaluation of proposals received more than a month earlier had not yet been completed. The newspaper also reported that Peña appointed Gerardo González Báez, brother of an authorized representative of the Colorado Party (ANR), to the BNF board during the process. The current bid follows an earlier call that was canceled in 2025 amid allegations of possible steering in favor of ITTI.