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When operating transit centers, the Canton of Zurich pays attention to both price and quality.
Zurich security director Mario Fehr rewards dumping prices. That was the headline in the weekly newspaper WOZ on Thursday. The canton is saving money at the expense of refugees in the accommodation centers, criticized SP local councilor Tiba Ponnuthurai in the article.
The criticism relates to a decision made by the Zurich Government Council at the end of October: it awarded the contract for operating the cantonal transit centers to the ORS Group and Caritas. The asylum organization Zurich AOZ, which currently runs the centers, will lose its contract.
Cheaper offers won the race
With its offer totaling 38.5 million francs, ORS in particular offered significantly cheaper than AOZ, which wanted to take on the contract for 65.8 million francs.
At ORS itself, the low price does not contradict a good quality offer. When asked by Radio SRF, the company wrote: “The fact that we were awarded the contract is proof to us that our concepts and quality meet current needs.” They wanted to ensure smooth operations and treat people with respect and at eye level.
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The cantonal social welfare office pays attention to a good relationship between price and performance, said head of office Andrea Lübberstedt at the beginning of November.
Keystone/Ennio Leanza
And upon request, the security directorate of the canton of Zurich refers to a media conference from the beginning of November. At that time, Andrea Lübberstedt, head of the cantonal social welfare office, said about the award of the contract: “It’s not the case that we’re simply looking for the cheapest offer. We’re not just looking for the best, but a good mix of them.” She trusts the professional quality of ORS.
The price, the professional quality, but also the ability to fluctuate were relevant.
Clear rules also apply to the awarding of such large contracts in the asylum system, Lübberstedt told SRF. In this specific case, several criteria played a role: “The price, the technical quality, but also the ability to fluctuate were relevant.” The latter means that an organization can react quickly to a change in the number of refugees.