Togo confirms validity of PEREL plus tender after dispute resolution
The Togolese Public Procurement Dispute Resolution Committee (CRD) of the ARCOP Togo has officially closed the case surrounding the international tender for the Lomé Electricity Network Extension Project (PEREL PLUS) by issuing decision no. 024-2026 on June 19, 2026. The ruling dismissed all allegations of procedural irregularities lodged against the tender process initiated by the Togo Electricity Company (CEET).
Following a thorough investigation and direct hearings with the CEET’s Public Procurement Responsible Officer, the CRD concluded that the denunciations lacked factual basis. The committee’s verdict brings an end to months of speculation regarding the tender’s legitimacy.
Tender process withstands scrutiny despite early challenges
Two anonymous complaints filed on March 28 and April 8, 2026, had raised concerns about the PEREL PLUS tender procedure. Among the allegations were claims of:
- an improperly restricted shortlist without prior prequalification,
- an overrepresentation of foreign firms in the bidding pool,
- a failure to divide the project into smaller, manageable lots, and
- the reapplication of excessively stringent qualification criteria.
However, the CRD’s findings revealed a different reality. The tender process had, in fact, undergone a mandatory prequalification phase, during which nine out of fifteen interested candidates met the established requirements and were shortlisted for the final bidding stage.
PEREL PLUS tender aligns with international financing standards
The tender for the Lomé electricity network expansion is part of a broader initiative funded by an external development agency. Documents reviewed by the CRD confirm that the project’s framework complies with the stipulations set forth by the financing body, which, in certain cases, supersedes national procurement regulations—particularly regarding the structuring of contract lots.
The tender dossier also secured clearance from the Togo National Public Procurement Control Directorate (DNCCP), further validating its adherence to both national and international procurement norms.
