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Penniless EU to spend big bucks on Afghan security over next four years
The EU's external action service (EEAS) plans to spend up to 50 million on private security guards for its Afghanistan mission over the next four years.It unveiled the tender on Thursday (10 May), saying the money would be spent on "protection of staff, their families in the country, visitors from headquarters or other EU institutions, the premises and the goods of the EU delegation in Afghanistan." The contract - valued at between 30 million and 50 million plus VAT - is to cover at least 100 security guards, as well as "mobile patrol teams, equipment [and] armoured cars." It is aiming to sign up a big company with prior experience in Afghanistan - the winning bidder must have an annual turnover of at least 20 million and 400 staff. Five companies are eligible to compete - the Hungarian-based Argus, Canada's Gardaworld, British firms G4S and Page Group, and French company Geos - after getting on an EEAS private security shortlist last year. The tender also stipulates applicants must present "an official document issued from the competent Afghan authority that certifies that the company is entitled to operate security services in Afghanistan" before the contract is signed. Posted by: Besoeker 2012-05-14 |
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