Itaipu Binacional has published five new tenders on its public procurement portal, which together total nearly US$ 11.4 million. The calls for bids range from gardening and tree pruning services to private security and mineral water supply.
The largest volume of funds is concentrated in the surveillance area. The entity is seeking to hire 212 security guards, divided into two geographic lots. Lot 1, in Ciudad del Este, has an estimated value of G. 15.38 billion, while Lot 2, in the Reservoir Area, totals G. 14.99 billion. The monthly cost per permanent surveillance post will be G. 31.38 million. Meanwhile, posts that include a 4x4 pickup truck for patrols will cost G. 70.14 million in Lot 1 and G. 70.63 million in Lot 2.
Another security tender, conducted by the Itaipu Technological Park Foundation (PTI-PY), foresees spending G. 11 billion — about US$ 1.77 million — to acquire cell phone interception equipment, drones, cell tower scanners, and wifi monitoring devices for the National Police. The submission of proposals takes place on June 8, with the first opening of envelopes on June 9 in Hernandarias. However, the bidding terms require bidders to prove specific experience in supplying IMSI Catcher equipment carried out in Paraguay or the region over the last seven years, a requirement that, in practice, drastically restricts the pool of competitors.
In the area of green space maintenance, Itaipu plans to spend G. 1.94 billion on grass cutting using brush cutters across 717,461 square meters over 63 cycles. Cutting with a rotary machine on 339,860 square meters will cost G. 17.33 million per cycle, totaling G. 1.09 billion. Sweeping the cut grass on 1,057,321 square meters is budgeted at G. 2.26 billion for the 63 cycles. For the maintenance of areas with and without gardens, the binational entity foresees a monthly outlay of G. 391.2 million over 36 months, totaling G. 14.53 billion. The areas with gardens total 1,025,891 square meters and include the main access and 17 additional points; the areas without gardens cover 413,719 square meters, including the PTI Forest.
The mineral water supply, with the opening of envelopes scheduled for this Tuesday, May 26, has a value of G. 1.58 billion. A total of 158,400 20-liter jugs will be purchased over 36 months, at a unit cost of G. 10,000 — a value lower than the market price, which is around G. 14,500 when buying directly from suppliers and G. 15,500 in supermarkets. Itaipu has 1,693 employees and a monthly payroll of G. 34.67 billion, equivalent to US$ 5.6 million. Of this total, 109 employees earn more than the President of the Republic, Santiago Peña, whose salary is G. 37.9 million. The Executive Legal Director, Iris Magnolia Mendoza, wife of Senator Silvio Ovelar, tops the list with a remuneration of G. 156.5 million, more than four times the presidential salary. The Paraguayan side's Director General, Justo Zacarías Irún, appears in second place, with G. 106.87 million.