SAT Board again disapproves the purchase of metal license plates for vehicles – 2024-08-01 16:58:07

The board of directors of the Superintendency of Tax Administration (SAT) definitively rejected the award of the purchase of metal plates for more than one and a half million vehicles, an event that the bidding committee had awarded for Q64.2 million.

Although a new contest is planned, it could take about 5 months to complete, while the current inventory of metal badges is about to run out. Therefore, vinyl plates will begin to be distributed, informed Superintendent Marco Livio Díaz Reyes.

The motives

At the beginning of June, the bidding committee had awarded the event to the company GSI Guatemala, SA, for Q64.2 million. However, the SAT board requested additions and corrections to the minutes of the process and paperwork.

The board made the adjustments and confirmed the award, but in resolution 70-2024 of July 2, 2024, the board again disapproved that decision and closed the event.

The company subsequently filed a complaint, but this was declared inadmissible, according to documents published in the Guatecompras system dated July 15.

The official said that the company could not prove that the manufacturer has a consortium. The resolution argues that the decision is based on the provisions of article 36 of the State Contracting Law and explains that the administrative file did not contain documents proving the existence of the consortium between GSI Guatemala, SA, and the entity Talleres Unidos Mexicanos, Sociedad Anónima de Capital Variable.

As a result, the board of directors believes that the experience in this type of services required in the tender bases could not be verified, the document adds.

The pilot plan

“Now the tender will have to be repeated, which will take about 5 months, but in order not to create a shortage in the market, vinyl plates were requested, which will be a pilot plan, since they have greatly improved durability and safety measures,” said the superintendent.

SAT has already requested vinyl plates from the National Steel Engraving Workshop to meet current demand, but this will be done as a pilot plan because they are evaluating whether it is feasible to add security measures and be able to use them on a general basis.

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According to Díaz, a complete change must be made every 10 years, which is already being planned and the results of a study being carried out in Spain are awaited.

Metal plate components, especially 99% pure aluminum, have become more expensive, so vinyl plates are being analyzed for their lower cost, a useful life of 10 to 15 years, and the fact that they can be manufactured in the country.

“We are conducting a study to ensure the security measures, that they are not falsifiable and the durability of the material, so we are in contact with agencies in Spain that will make this evaluation known,” he added.

In addition to the tender, the SAT has made several quotes for various executing units, for the purchase of metal plates with amounts less than Q900 thousand. According to the Guatecompras system, between May 28 and July 31, 2024, 10 tenders were awarded to GSI Guatemala, SA, for the purchase of metal plates for vehicles that use two distinctive signs and for motorcycles, in amounts ranging between Q750 thousand and Q865 thousand.

Vehicle fleet increases

Demand for license plates has increased considerably since 2020, mainly for motorcycles, so inventories have been depleted.

As of July 29, 2024, the country’s vehicle fleet reached 5 million 610 thousand 327 active units, where motorcycles are 2 million 687 thousand 717 and exceed for the first time the accumulated number of private vehicles, which are 2 million 555 thousand 792, while commercial vehicles are 366 thousand 818. Inactive vehicles total 1 million 577 thousand 84, reaching 7 million 187 thousand 411 registered in total.

• Regarding the vehicle circulation tax, there are 299,180 delinquent units, for Q102 million. Of these, 207,000 are motorcycles.
• On this subject, the SAT reported that the electronic circulation card remains valid until the end of September 2024, when the deadline for payment of the ISCV expires.
• The tax can be paid if there are traffic fines, but the new card cannot be printed until the fines are paid, it was explained.