Power play

Energy sector insiders have buzzed Nosy Tarsee about a bidding process gone sideways, and the whispers are getting louder by the week.

At the center of the hubbub are the terms of reference for an energy operation of national significance, one considered strategically important enough that its rules were originally anchored in a presidential decree.

Sources say the timeline has quietly stretched, and stretched, and stretched. Months in, there’s still no terms of reference to speak of. No bid bulletins. No pre-qualification conferences.

Industry hands who’ve sat through dozens of these processes say they’ve never seen so many basic protocols skipped at once. Naturally, Nosy Tarsee has to ask why the snag, and who benefits from the delay?

The bigger picture, Nosy Tarsee was told, is a behind-the-scenes push to rewrite the rules mid-game. Technical qualifications are reportedly being trimmed, while financial capability is being weighted more heavily.

Connect the dots, and industry watchers say the shift conveniently favors one particular conglomerate that has suddenly developed a keen interest in taking over the energy business.

The tycoon behind that conglomerate is no stranger to aggressive plays in contested industries.

The question making the rounds in industry circles is who, exactly, is moving the needle on this, and on whose instructions?

What has insiders most concerned isn’t the fact of new competition. It’s the method. Critics argue that an administrative-level change should not be used to effectively override a presidential decree or unsettle existing contractual and property rights.

And this isn’t just any decree. PD 972 was written precisely to insulate this kind of operation from the ordinary churn of politics and shifting preferences.

Bidding rules are supposed to be transparent, consistent and applied equally to every player at the table.

There was also reportedly no proper pre-qualification bidding conference. Bid bulletins, typically issued to address questions from interested parties, were allegedly missing entirely. Without them, insiders say almost anyone could throw their hat in the ring, sidestepping the standard vetting process altogether.

The official overseeing the bid is said to be under scrutiny over her authority to make these changes, with critics privately calling her recent actions legally shaky at best.

Word is a determined team of lawyers is already watching the process closely, documents in hand, ready to file the moment the irregularities are ripe for a case — with an eye toward getting the government officials involved suspended and their pensions forfeited too.

If the process drags on much longer, the practical fallout could also hit ordinary consumers hardest. A production gap when the current contract lapses could mean supply disruptions, and eventually, upward pressure on power rates.