TCE-PR suspends R$ 2.2 million Christmas decoration tender in Apucarana

The Court of Accounts of the State of Paraná (TCE-PR) has suspended a bidding process by the Apucarana City Hall for the rental of Christmas decorations. The tender, valued at approximately R$ 2.23 million, was halted following a formal complaint by City Councilor Guilherme Livoti and a local company.

Councilor Livoti raised several concerns regarding the bidding rules, including the grouping of 120 items into a single lot, the prohibition of consortia and subcontracting, and a lack of specific provisions for micro and small businesses. Additionally, the complaint noted discrepancies in price research, alleging that 29% of the estimated value was based on a single supplier's quote and that the maximum bid amount increased from R$ 2.14 million to R$ 2.23 million without sufficient technical justification.

In its defense, the Apucarana City Hall argued that the single lot is necessary for an integrated solution involving installation and maintenance. The municipality also stated that the price research used various sources and attributed a discrepancy in price calculation methods to a drafting error in the Terms of Reference.