Mintic declares Satcol tender void

Colombia's IT and communications ministry ( Mintic) has declared void a public tender process for the project to build and launch the so-called Satcol communications satellite, local paper Portafolio reported. The ministry had received only one complete proposal from Chinese firm China Great Wall Industry Corporation. However, the offer did not fulfill all of the requirements by the government, Mintic said. In previous phases of the tender, US company Orbital Sciences did not provide full documentation, while Russian consortium Information Satellite Systems Reshetnev showed an interest in the tender but expressed doubts about the company which handles insurance for Satcol. The satellite project carries an estimated price tag of 506bn pesos (US$258mn). This was the country's second failed attempt to get its own satellite into space, as last year the call for bids brought only one bidder - ISS Reshetnev - whose proposal was then deemed inadmissible as it failed to meet stipulations outlined in the bidding rules.