Four leading building contractors have been debarred from participating in tenders for periods of between three years and six months by the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development.
According to the Sunday Times, the companies blacklisted last week are M/s Consulting Engineers & Contractors (Pvt) Ltd (three years), M/s V.V. Karunaratne & Company (one year), M/s HOVAEL Construction (Pvt) Ltd (one year), and W.K.K. Engineering Company (Pvt) Ltd (six months).
The companies are also debarred from entering into any new contracts or subcontracts under the purview of the Ministry.
The report further states that, according to a Cabinet paper, three of the companies are alleged to have provided false information to secure a lucrative contract under Section 3 of the Central Expressway Project.
It is reported that due procedure was followed, including the appointment of an independent committee, the inspection of documents submitted by the companies, a hearing on October 10, 2025, and further communications related to the allegations, before the initiation of action.
The entities are entitled to appeal. It is the first time such action has ever been taken in the highways sector. (Newswire)