MOPC overcharged US$157 million on projects awarded to most expensive bidders, report alleges

Senator Ever Villalba has accused Paraguay's Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC) of overcharging by more than US$157 million across 13 awarded projects. Villalba presented his findings to the Senate, alleging that the final contract prices between 2024 and 2025 exceeded the ministry's own reference prices by a significant margin, ranging from 50% to 80%.

Villalba contends that such discrepancies suggest either incompetence in the ministry's technical pricing or an "illicit association to commit a crime." He highlighted specific examples where awarded bids were nearly double the estimated cost. The senator calculated the total overpricing to be approximately 943.6 billion Paraguayan guaraníes (G.), equivalent to over US$157 million.

He questioned how many more road kilometers could have been built or how many more essential services, like medications or pensions, could have been funded with the alleged excess funds. Villalba also criticized the MOPC for allegedly excluding bidders who offered prices closer to the reference cost, thereby favoring higher-priced consortiums. He called for the minister to appear before the Senate to provide explanations before any further legal action is taken.