Serious irregularities reported in INABIE school lunch tender
Renowned professional chef Carlos Medina, with over two decades of experience in the gastronomic industry and academic training in Boston, has raised his voice to denounce alleged irregularities in the recent bidding process of the National Institute of Student Welfare (INABIE) for the supply of school lunches.
Medina, who made a millionaire investment to meet the required standards, revealed in an interview on the program Esto No es Radio the financial and technical complexities that bidders face to participate in this process. According to the specialist, the terms and conditions impose extremely costly operational requirements.
High-level technical and financial requirements
- Specialized infrastructure: Installation of grease traps, differentiated cold storage systems for meats and vegetables, and certified warehouses.
- Industrial equipment: Acquisition of extraction hoods valued at 800,000 pesos, industrial kettles of up to 800,000 pesos, and tilting skillets costing 1.3 million pesos.
- Economic solvency: Initial investment between 8 and 10 million pesos, including own transport vehicles and rental guarantees.
- Bank backing: Mandatory requirement to present certifications from financial institutions to cover operating costs in the face of INABIE payment delays, which often extend for up to three months.
Despite having obtained a perfect score of 10 in the physical inspection and a final score of over 90 points, Medina’s proposal was rejected. The reason for the dismissal was a typographical error in an insurance policy, a flaw that, according to the chef himself, was perfectly rectifiable under current regulations.
The chef questioned how his offer, backed by a robust infrastructure and years of experience, was left out of the process, while multi-million dollar contracts were awarded to profiles with less technical capacity.
Contrast in the award
Medina’s complaint focuses on the awarding of contracts reaching 24 and 48 million pesos to young people aged 19, 22, and 23. According to the allegations, these awardees lack a solid credit history or properties to back such amounts, having declared an initial investment of just 500,000 pesos each. During public interviews, the beneficiaries also reportedly showed a lack of knowledge regarding fundamental aspects of logistics transport and the technical documentation necessary to operate under the standards required by INABIE.
