The Togolese Regulatory Authority for Public Contracts (ARCOP) delivered a decisive verdict on June 19, 2026, closing the case on allegations of irregularities surrounding the PEREL PLUS international tender. The ruling, issued as Decision No. 024-2026 by the Dispute Resolution Committee (CRD), dismissed all claims against the tender process for the Lomé electricity network expansion project.
Following a thorough review of the investigation report and a hearing with the Public Procurement Responsible Officer of Togo’s power utility (CEET), the CRD concluded that the accusations lacked substance.
Tender process under scrutiny but deemed compliant
Two anonymous complaints filed with ARCOP on March 28 and April 8, 2026, had raised concerns about the tender’s integrity, including:
- A closed shortlist without prior prequalification,
- A dominant presence of foreign firms,
- Failure to divide the contract into smaller lots,
- And the reuse of overly stringent qualification criteria.
However, the CRD’s investigation confirmed that the tender adhered to a mandatory prequalification phase, which whittled down 15 expressions of interest to just nine shortlisted candidates.
PEREL PLUS project gains external validation
The tender documentation, part of a financing agreement with the French Development Agency (AFD), also secured non-objection clearance from Togo’s National Directorate for Public Contract Oversight (DNCCP).
The CRD emphasized that in externally funded projects, the lender’s guidelines—particularly regarding lot structuring—take precedence over national regulations.
