Swire Coca-Cola has won a HK$31.9 million, 27-month contract to supply Bonaqua drinking water to some Hong Kong government offices. This comes after a HK$52.9 million procurement scandal last year involving a mainland supplier. The tender included stricter requirements for suppliers.
Swire Coca-Cola was awarded a HK$31.9 million (US$4 million) contract on Tuesday by the Government Logistics Department to supply more than 1.46 million bottles of Bonaqua drinking water to government offices on Hong Kong Island and parts of outlying islands. The 27-month deal followed an open tender launched in December. Tender documents imposed requirements such as proving market share over the past 10 years, at least 50 sales channels, and a daily delivery capacity of 100 orders. Imported bottled water suppliers needed food importer qualifications and safety test reports. Bids over HK$15 million required financial reviews, contract deposits, and on-site inspections. In June 2023, Swire Coca-Cola won another contract for 1.35 million bottles worth HK$40.5 million. Last August, scrutiny arose over a three-year HK$52.9 million contract given to mainland firm Xin Ding Xin Trade, the first such win, supposedly saving HK$16.2 million annually for 170,000 civil servants on water supplies. The company allegedly submitted fake documents and is suspected of defrauding the department and breaching the Trade Descriptions Ordinance.
