By Our Reporter
Opposition and condemnation of Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, ICRC’s recent issuance of “No Objection” certificate to a Swiss-based company, Société Industrielle et Commerciale de Produits Alimentaires, SICPA, as the sole company for the deployment of Track and Trace procedures for security stamps in Nigeria has continue to swell.
AljazirahNigeria reports that ICRC is responsible for overseeing and regulating Public Private Partnership, PPP, projects in the country.
The selection of SICPA according to sources was in violation of the Public Procurement Act as it was allegedly carried without an open and competitive bidding process.
Consequently members of the Organised Private Sector, including the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industries, Mines, Commerce and Agriculture as well as operators in the nation’s financial sector have expressed bitter feelings over the “No Objection” certificate.
“It is regrettable, that the ICRC acting on the advise of the Federal Ministry of Finance, will secretly endorse a foreign-based company with questionable transactions and business records, to be the sole collector of Track-and-Trace Revenue on behalf of the Federal Government, without passing through due process”, says Plastics and consumer goods manufacturer, Dr. Jumoke Alarie, in Bayelsa State.
For his part Chairman/Chief Executive, Sonia Foods Limited, Ogun State, Similarly, Chief Okikiomo Olumo, kicked against the ICRC’s approval of the SICPA and urged the federal government to reverse its citing alleged bad image of the firm particularly in Switzerland.
Furthermore, a Lagos-based business man, Mr. Cletus Ojiakor, wondered why the choice of SICPA by the ICRC and the Federal Ministry of Finance for the implementation of Trac-and- Trace project amid allegations against the firm.
A top ICRC personnel who does not want to mentioned in this reports said the commission did nothing wrong in selecting SICPA as the preferred bidder for the Track-and-Trace revenue tax project.
He refuted allegations against SICPA, saying the firm is a well-known on Track-and-Trace, pointing out that SICPA handles 80% of such contracts in the globally, hence the “No Objection” certificate vy ICRC.
SICPA the added sponsored the Commission officials and others on a due diligence trip to Switzerland but declined comment report that the firm was found guilty of bribery by a Swiss Court in 2023.
Société Industrielle et Commerciale de Produits Alimentaires, is a Swiss family-owned technology company with an international footprint, operating sites and production facilities on all continents.
Countries where SICPA is alleged to be currently undergoing a probe include Egypt, India, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Senegal, Vietnam, and Ukraine.
SICPA had regretted that an internal lack of organisation may have led to actions considered unethical.
When the contract takes off, the Swiss-based security and Ink manufacturing company would be empowered to collect taxes on manufactured and consumer products through a process known as “Track-and-Trace”.
