Paraguay's Public Works and Communications Ministry (MOPC), has asked the country's comptroller to review its recommendation to declare the tender for the modernization and expansion of Asuncion's Silvio Pettirossi international airport null and void.

Paraguay's public works minister, Ramón Jiménez, recommended declaring null and void the tender as the MOPC skipped the prequalification phase favoring Sacyr-Agunsa consortium. 

The Spanish-Chilean consortium Sacyr-Agunsa issued a release in order to defend itself against the allegations of irregularities.

As we reported in June 2016, Paraguay received three proposals for the Asunción's Silvio Pettirossi international airport upgrade project. The shortlisted teams were Vinci, Cedicor SA and Sacyr Concesiones SA.

The project would involve the construction of a new airport terminal and the reconstruction of the existing facilities to transform them into administrative offices. The facilities will have capacity to handle approximately 3.3 million passenger per year, up from current capacity of 915,000.

The total project investment is estimated at US$148.7 million., of which, a total of US$108.4 million will be invested during the first phase and the remaining 40.3 million will be invested in a second phase.

The project will be developed on a design, build, finance operation, and maintenance (DBFOM) basis. The concession period will be 30 years.