The Democratic Republic of Congo's public procurement regulator has suspended a tender for the digitalization of passenger airport fees, known as Go-Pass, after a competitor challenged the contract award.

The decision was made on May 5, 2026, by the Dispute Resolution Committee of the Autorité de régulation des marchés publics (ARMP), following a complaint filed by Veritas Engineering & Project Management Consultants against the Régie des voies aériennes (RVA).

The complaint followed the provisional award of the $4.06 million contract, including taxes, to Mayele SAS. Veritas Engineering, which also bid for the contract, said it had filed a formal grievance with the RVA on March 11, 2026, before referring the matter to the ARMP on March 19.

According to the decision, Veritas is seeking access to the minutes of the bid-opening session and the evaluation report. The company said it had submitted a complete application, including the required administrative documents, technical and financial proposals, and a bank guarantee.

Veritas also said it was never informed that its bid had been rejected and was not given any explanation. The company further pointed to a discrepancy between the amount announced during the bid opening — $3.95 million — and the figure in the provisional award notice, which was set at $4.06 million.

The Dispute Resolution Committee noted that the RVA had not responded to the ARMP's request for explanations. It said the issues raised required further review before a final decision could be made.

As a result, the ARMP suspended the procurement process and instructed its directorate-general to conduct an audit. The report must be submitted within 30 calendar days of formal notification to the contracting authority.

The suspension does not amount to a cancellation of the contract. It is a precautionary measure pending the audit's findings and a final ruling on the procurement process.

The Go-Pass digitalization project aims to replace the RVA's paper coupon system with an electronic payment mechanism. According to the authorities, the goal is to secure fee collection and reduce fraud risks at the airports concerned.

Timothée Manoke