SARS re-issues voice, data tender

Johannesburg, 05 Sept 2006

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has re-issued its voice and data network tender, appearing in a different guise from the previous tender that was controversially scrapped just over two months ago.

Certain structural and technical changes have been made, and the value of the tender may differ from the R1.5 billion the previous one was estimated to be worth.

The key difference - notes SARS's GM for communications, Logan Wort - is that any one of the seven new "areas of scope" may be tendered for, meaning it may not be one service provider that will be awarded the whole tender.

"We're very pleased with the amount of flexibility we've built into this; it opens us up to a wider range of potential service providers," notes Wort.

He explains that a company with specific expertise in one of the seven areas will hopefully be encouraged to bid for only that section of the tender.

Areas of scope

There are, he says, various other technical differences between the new and old tenders, but these details cannot be revealed until Thursday, when the bulk of the potential service providers will collect the tender documents.

Wort adds there will be a compulsory service provider briefing on Wednesday, 13 September - "to unpack the tender document".

The seven areas of scope are:

* Data network carrier
* Internet service provision
* Server hardware support
* Voice network carrier
* End-user device hardware support
* Workgroup printing service
* Managed network services (WAN, LAN and voice services)

Time pressures

The closing date is set for Monday, 16 October, but Wort is hesitant to speak about future timelines for awarding the tender. "The fact that our process is more flexible makes it more likely we will be considering a higher number of bidders."

However, he says the team working on the tender at SARS will do everything it can, considering due process, to award the tender as soon as possible.

While refusing to comment on the expected value of the tender until after the service providers' briefing, Wort does say SARS looks forward to "enthusiastic participation" from the industry.

Various bidders for the previous tender indicated they had invested about R1 million in preparation, but SARS consistently maintained it was "unable to make a value for money determination" based on the previous tender.

SARS is also reconsidering another R1.5 billion tender - for the installation, maintenance, upgrading and operation of 11 scanning machines in Durban's harbour - which was scrapped five weeks ago. A new tender for this is expected to be issued soon.