Two companies submit bids for prison food contract

LA PRENSA/Archivo

Preparación de la comida

Notas relacionadas:

• Mingob copia pliego de internet

12/10/2012 - Two consortiums submitted proposals today to compete for the contract to supply prisons in Panama and Colón with food services for the next seven years.

The bidders were Colombian group Ibero-American Food and Services and Aliprac of El Salvador.

The Colombian company said it would supply three meals at $3.15 per prisoner per day, while the Aliprac bid was $2.99.

The proposals will be evaluated by a committee and a decision made in the next two weeks.

The terms of the contract generated controversy as it required companies to have experience in prison food service, which excluded local firms.

There were also questions raised about the language of the contract, which included terms commonly used in Colombia but not Panama, such as arepa instead of tortilla.

Aliprac has the current contract, which expires in December.