Penelope Canonico
07/18/2021 7:21 PM
Clarín.com
Society
Updated 07/18/2021 7:21 PM
The largest bidder for the purchase of 10,000 polished wood penises, condom dispensers and 10,000 briefcases by the State for sex education was removed from the tender.
This is
Carlos Esteban Nielsen
, a 35-year-old from the province of Córdoba, the only one to quote for the complete kit with a total figure of
$ 14,870,000.
In order to plan
intervention policies with educational measures,
promotion, post-pandemic assistance, the National Secretariat for Access to Health, which depends on the Health portfolio, published the bases and conditions (Comprar.gob.ar ).
The budgeted amount for the three products was
$ 13,371,100.
The Government's objective is "to ensure a wide availability of promotional materials" in order to
raise awareness
and
prevent the spread of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs).
The receipt of offers closed on Tuesday, July 13 with four applicants: Buhl SA;
Marketing Dimensión SA;
Melenzane SA;
and
Nielsen
.
But the latter preferred not to continue with the tender at the time of having applied.
The call for bids to buy 10,000 wooden penises
Esteban Nielsen appears on the Buy site records enrolled with a wide variety of items such as catering and software repair.
In dialogue with
Clarín
, he said that “technically he did not withdraw from the race but
chose not to complete the offer by omitting the presentation of the maintenance guarantee
(a promissory note) within the stipulated period (48 hours), which would leave him unaffected by law".
It is grounds for rejection that cannot be corrected.
“When the offer was opened, I evaluated the final numbers and calculated the terms for payment, there I understood that it did not suit me.
There is a good chance that the business will go wrong
because multiple factors are at stake, such as inflation, the dollar soaring and the elections involved. I am not in a financial position to face that risk, ”he explains by phone.
Consulted by this means, the Ministry of Health assures that this year,
3 proposals were presented:
one for $ 4,980,000, another for $ 4,411,850 and a third for $ 14,300,000.
"In the case of acquiring them, the lowest offer will be chosen. The prevention and promotion kit has been acquired since 2008 and it has been 5 years since a purchase of the input began", they emphasize.
Part of the kit that was distributed in 2008. It included male and female condoms, sexual health brochures and reading material for training
In addition, they clarify that the acquisition of
10,000 units of each material
was defined
because they are distributed to health effectors, which are approximately
7,500 and 2,500
go to other government teams and organizations (these are estimated numbers).
“No province buys this type of input.
The planned monthly distribution is
800 kits
.
The material is distributed through provincial programs, "they describe and highlight its importance, among other reasons, because more than 98% of infections occur from unprotected sexual relations.
Rigid wooden penis from a kit from previous years
The tender is in the stage called “opening”.
In the coming days, the ministerial portfolio should summon the bidders to correct any deficiencies before proceeding to the evaluation and subsequent award of the bids.
The Minister of Health of the province of Buenos Aires, led by Daniel Gollan, defended the decision and argued that the criticisms "have a
political background
" in the midst of the legislative protests and emphasized that a pandemic is not a factor to stop the rest of the health and prevention actions.
MG
Look also
Carla Vizzotti spoke after the controversy over the tender to buy 10,000 wooden penises
The sexual education that arrives for boys and girls: animations in videos and with simple language