The Nationalist Party on Saturday expressed concern over a government tender "containing strange and unjustified conditions".

The PN drew attention to the conditions listed in public tender "Tender CT2000/2025" for the leasing of 62 plug-in hybrid vehicles for use by members of the judiciary, recently published by the Department of Contracts.

In its recommendation note, the Adjudication Board recommended that this tender be awarded to the highest bidder, amounting to €5,996,950 excluding VAT, despite cheaper bids being submitted.

This was because, according to the Board, the selected bidder was the only one meeting the condition that the contractor must have earned at least €1 million in annual revenue from a single contract for two consecutive years.

Such a condition is neither reasonable nor proportionate, as noted by the Malta Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association in a statement, the PN said. This requirement effectively made it impossible for Maltese operators to compete for the contract, resulting in the award of the most expensive offer - one that will ultimately be paid for by the Maltese and Gozitan taxpayers.

The same association raised doubts about the reason why such an arbitrary condition was imposed, explaining that the requirement of €1 million annual turnover from a single contract is disproportionate in the context of the Maltese market - something practically impossible to meet, even though Malta has experienced operators in this sector.

It also warned that this case could undermine public confidence in the integrity of the public procurement process.

It is a principle enshrined even in European law (Directive 2014/24/EU) that government entities must ensure that the conditions imposed in public contracts are reasonable and justified, so as not to hinder the principle of fair competition.

The PN is therefore calling for an independent review of this tender to ensure a transparent and fair process for all interested parties.