- Rs. 1.06 b resurfacing project for national sports complex’s athletics tracks hits procurement snag
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the re-tendering of a project to resurface the artificial running tracks at the Sugathadasa National Sports Complex Authority, after the only qualified bidder in the original procurement process quoted a price 70% above the project’s estimated cost.
The project, which covers the resurfacing of the complex’s 400-metre, 200-metre and 80-metre artificial running tracks, was originally approved by Cabinet decisions dated 21 October 2025 and 3 March 2026, at an estimated cost of Rs. 1,062.543 million.
Following those approvals, bids were invited through the international competitive procurement method to select a contractor for the project. “Three bids were submitted in response. However, when the bids were evaluated, only one bidder was found to be qualified and that bid came in at a value 70% higher than the project’s original cost estimate,” Minister Vijitha Herath said at the weekly post-Cabinet meeting media briefing yesterday.
Given the scale of the gap between the estimate and the sole qualifying bid, he said the High Level Procurement Committee recommended that the tender be re-invited rather than awarded at the inflated price.
The proposal to this effect was submitted by the Youth Affairs and Sports Minister.
