Feral Jundi

Friday, March 15, 2013

Industry Talk: Page Group Wins EU Security Services Contract For Afghanistan

Last year I posted about the EEAS contract and here is the winner. So folks that were waiting on this news, here you go. Although I am kind of curious how they were able to side step Presidential Decree 62 and this APPF thing? Obviously they have made deals with the Afghans to make this happen. Or maybe they are in compliance via some stipulation in the law. Who knows and congratulations to the Page Group. –Matt

 

Security firm wins EU contract despite tax problem
03/15/2013
British private security firm Page Group has scooped a contract to protect EU diplomats in Afghanistan, but faces delays over local tax compliance.
A Page Group spokesperson confirmed to EUobserver on Thursday (14 March) that “this company’s tender for the provision of security services at the EU delegation has been accepted.”
The contract, worth between €30 million and €50 million over the next four years, is to see it provide at least 100 security guards as well as mobile patrol teams and armoured vehicles to protect EU staff, their families and visiting VIPs.

(more…)

Friday, May 11, 2012

Afghanistan: EU To Spend €50mn On Private Security In Afghanistan For The Next 4 Years

Filed under: Afghanistan,Industry Talk — Tags: , , , , , — Matt @ 2:22 PM

Now this is some interesting news with the EU and their EEAS.  I posted earlier this year about another contract they were flying for security, and this one is targeted towards Afghanistan.

Hopefully they can navigate this whole APPF and Decree 62 deal, because they could easily kiss their beloved Page Group security partner (or whomever wins the contract) goodbye if Karzai has his way. Maybe the EU has made some deals to allow them to keep their own security?

I also thought it was interesting that they have narrowed down what companies qualify. Here is the quote:

It is aiming to sign up a big company with prior experience in Afghanistan – the winning bidder must have an annual turnover of at least €20 million and 400 staff. Five companies are eligible to compete – the Hungarian-based Argus, Canada’s Gardaworld, British firms G4S and Page Group, and French company Geos – after getting on an EEAS private security shortlist last year.

My one heartache about this is why aren’t American companies qualified to bid? (like US companies with offices in Europe) I know the US is not a member of the EU, but that doesn’t mean it’s companies are not capable. Because I can think of several who fit the the bill of having ‘annual turnover of at least €20 million and 400 staff‘. The EU is really missing out in my opinion by not contracting with US companies, and it’s not like the US hasn’t contracted with European PMSC’s for DoD or DoS related contracts in the war.

Aegis comes to mind as one current example, and they are actually being contracted to replace AGNA on the KESF contract! lol Either way, we will see how the bidding goes and how they navigate the complexities of Afghanistan security contracting. –Matt

 

EU to spend €50mn on private security in Afghanistan
05/11/2012
By Andrew Rettman
The EU’s external action service (EEAS) plans to spend up to €50 million on private security guards for its Afghanistan mission over the next four years.
The EEAS unveiled the tender on Thursday (10 May), saying the money would be spent on “protection of staff, their families in the country, visitors from headquarters or other EU institutions, the premises and the goods of the EU delegation in Afghanistan.”
The contract – valued at between €30 million and €50 million plus VAT – is to cover at least 100 security guards, as well as “mobile patrol teams, equipment [and] armoured cars.”
It is aiming to sign up a big company with prior experience in Afghanistan – the winning bidder must have an annual turnover of at least €20 million and 400 staff.

(more…)

Friday, March 9, 2012

Industry Talk: The EU’s EEAS To Spend €15mn On Private Security Firms This Year

Ashton’s €15-million-a-year special security budget is tiny compared to what member states shell out. According to foreign office figures provided to EUobserver, the UK between mid-2006 and mid-2010 spent €196 million on private security in Iraq alone.

Excellent news for the guys across the pond. In this article they list a bunch of the PSC’s that the EU uses in it’s foreign missions. It also lists the countries that they are using private security in.

The list of companies and the countries goes as follows:

Page Group: Afghanistan

Argus: Haiti, Lebanon, Libya, Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

Control Risks: Israel. 

Saladin: Pakistan.

*The EU foreign corps last year put Argus and Page, as well as French company Geos, Canadian firm GardaWorld and British company G4S on a special shortlist. The listing means that if a new job comes up, the EEAS can hire one of them in a decision which takes just two weeks, instead of a year-or-so, as with a normal EU tender.(from article below)

Very cool and I didn’t know that Argus was such a player in this game?  Here is a clip from their bio page:

Over time the company has specialized in protection, risk assessment and crisis management for international corporations and their foreign branches, but also for international organizations and diplomatic entities located in volatile countries.
Shortly before the end of the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the company established its business in Budapest, Hungary for strategic and geographic reasons. However, 97% of its activities are currently conducted outside of the European Union.
Argus Security Projects Ltd. currently has 600 staff members permanently deployed worldwide.

What I also like about this list of companies, to include the short list, is that you get an idea as to what the EU thinks is an acceptable company to work with. Both in cost, reputation, experience and capability. Although I will save my judgement on these companies, just because they could have been chosen because they are the cheapest?… It also shows what countries the EU has interest in and that they are compelled to hire private security to accomplish that mission.

The Saudi Arabia mission is obvious for it’s oil. Places like Libya have oil too, and Europe needs that oil bad. So getting into that country and securing their folks while they do their thing is a priority–all so they can influence and get a place at the ‘trough’ there. Before the revolution in Libya, Europe had a high amount of oil imports from Libya, and I imagine that they would like to get that back. Not only that, but get that source back to the level of ‘secure and dependable’. That is not easy and it takes some work in the diplomacy department to get that done. Interesting stuff. –Matt

 

Ashton to spend €15mn on private security firms
March 9, 2012
By Andrew Rettman
Catherine Ashton’s External Action Service (EEAS) is to spend €15 million on private security firms this year as part of broader efforts to protect diplomats overseas.
The money is to cover “fully integrated security services” at its outposts in Beirut, Benghazi, Islamabad, Jerusalem, Kabul, Port-au-Prince, Ryiadh, Saleh and Tripoli.
It will spend another €35 million on hiring day-to-day security staff for the rest of its 136 foreign delegations. Some other places are also considered risky (diplomats are asked not to take families to Baghdad and Monrovia), but do not qualify for the “fully integrated” treatment.
The Afghanistan mission is currently protected by armed, company-logo-wearing ex-military types, including former Nepalese Gurkhas, supplied by London-based firm Page Group. When the EU ambassador leaves his compound, he travels in a convoy of three cars with seven bodyguards. Last year, someone took a pot-shot at his office window while he was briefing staff. In 2010, he was nearly hit by a rocket at a tribal congress.

(more…)

Powered by WordPress