Confidence in Region 6 tendering soars as bids surge by 43.5%

More persons are expressing confidence in the regional tendering process. This is according to Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) Narindra Persaud.

His comments came at the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) meeting on Thursday, where he noted that contractors who have submitted bids for works from the Regional Administration increased by 43.5 per cent when compared with 2024.
In 2023, 1,775 bids were received by the RDC for contracts, and 1,809 bids were received for contracts in 2024. This year 2,597 bids were received, which show an increase of 43.5 per cent over 2024.

The bids are for seven streets, six bridges, four drainage and irrigation structures to be rehabilitated, and one building.
In addition, under the education sector, the construction of seven buildings and rehabilitation of five buildings.
In all, 30 projects were available for bidding in Region Six. With 2,597 bids received, each bidder has a 1.15 per cent chance of being awarded a contract.
Among the contracts is Fifth Street, Old Brooms Road, Port Mourant, Corentyne. For that $14 million project, 199 bids were received.
“That is the most we ever had for a single project. That means that 198 persons that bid for the project will be disappointed. It shows that more people have trust and faith in the system. Previously, some people did not want to bid because they believed that a contractor would have already been selected for the project.

Contractors told me that they now trust the system and that is why they are bidding,” the REO told the RDC.
He added that every bidder has the same chance of being awarded the contract.
The REO noted that some would have tendered for all thirty projects.
Reports are that one contractor invested in excess of $1 million to prepare the relevant documents for all the projects.
“The time is over for those people who believe that they can just send in a document and get the works. If that was being doing it would defeat the whole purpose. You have all these tenders coming in, and if someone believes that they can get the work because of…for whatever reason, then it would be unfair to these people who are buying these documents; a lot of money people would have spent to get these documents in.” the REO explained.
“If we don’t allow the process to be fair, then it would be unfair to those persons who would have spent time, effort and money to get their tender in to be part if the process,” the REO added.
Meanwhile, also speaking at the RDC meeting on Thursday, Regional Chairman David Armogan noted that over $1 billion in contracts for capital works will pass through the regional administration this year.
“And so every cent will be spent to ensure that people’s condition of living and their lives are improved based on the money that was allocated to the region,” Armogan reported.
The $1 billion does not represent the only sum of money to be spent by the Government in Region Six this year on capital projects; it only represents works that are under $13.999 million, which is the limit to which the REO has control over.
Projects above the sum of $14 million will have to go through the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB).