The pharmaceutical company Megalabs Paraguay SA filed a complaint with the National Directorate of Public Procurement (DNCP) alleging that the Social Security Institute (IPS) abruptly and without prior notice moved up the bid opening date for a multimillion-dollar tender to purchase critically low-stock medicines, preventing the company from submitting its offer on equal terms.
The tender, identified as ID 482294 and titled "Adquisición de medicamentos varios con stock crítico," has a total value of G. 51.513 million. The scheduled date for receiving bids was June 8, 2026, but the IPS moved it up to June 1 without formal justification or adequate public notice, according to the complaint filed by representatives Juan Carlos Cabas and Sergio Samaniego.
The DNCP portal's record shows that the call for bids underwent three prior modifications: the opening of envelopes was initially set for April 1, 2026, then postponed to June 1, and finally scheduled for June 8. However, at the last minute and retroactively, the IPS moved the date back to June 1 — a change that, according to the complaint, left no visible or justifiable trace in the system.
"The challenged modification did not expand rights or favor participation. On the contrary, it suddenly reduced the deadline that interested parties had to submit offers, turning an officially published date — June 8, 2026 — into an illusory date, devoid of practical effect," states the document filed by Megalabs.
The DNCP, headed by Agustín Encina, summoned the IPS — presided over by Isaías Fretes — to submit within three days a detailed report and supporting documents for the tender. For the complainants, the maneuver fundamentally alters an essential condition of the call and directly invalidates the procedure, depriving laboratories of a real and foreseeable opportunity to compete.