Transportation Assistant Secretary Edgar C. Galvante said his group’s recent meeting with suppliers was fruitful enough to receive a positive and cooperative response from the contractors, saying that the groups have agreed to follow the lead of the government.
“They assured us that they will just follow our lead — that they will follow the demands of the government,” he said on Wednesday. “That’s why we are very positive that distribution of the license plates will happen soon.”
Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade noted that this is a positive development for the half-a-decade-long backlog that plagued the agency for two administrations.
“This is a very positive development because for so long, we couldn’t move forward with license plate distribution. People are asking us all the time: Where are the license plates? Unfortunately, even if the plates are there, there are legal issues that need to be resolved first,” he said.
Knieriem BV Goes and Power Plates Development Concept Inc. (JKG-PPI) in 2013 won the contract for the supply of the license plates. It was then subjected to a number of legal tussles starting from a notice of disallowance from the Commission on Audit due to alleged violation of procurement rules.
The said notice covered more than half of the 15 million plates that were scheduled to be distributed to their owners. It was then subjected to a temporary restraining order issued by the Supreme Court.
Just last month, the Land Transportation Office received a resolution dissolving the notice. It was six months after the High Court lifted its stay order.
Galvante said his group plans to submit its recommendation for amendments on contract next week to prompt the distribution of the remaining 11 million plates.
So far, the transportation department has shipped “most” of the license plates manufactured in its plate making facility to their regional offices for distribution. The said registration plates are those that were issued from July 2016 to December 2017.
Image credits: Nonoy Lacza