Everyone has equal opportunity to bid for contracts – Walrond

…as Govt launches training to help small contractors navigate system

While emphasising that everyone has an equal opportunity to bid for contracts, Minister Walrond also acknowledged that the law can be daunting for inexperienced bidders. As such, the Government has launched training on procurement practices for small businesses.
Training on procurement procedures got underway at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Monday. In her opening remarks, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Oneidge Walrond explained why such training is necessary to ensure that citizens can benefit from the numerous opportunities.
“The opportunities are boundless. For every single project, let’s say the new Harbour Bridge that we’re going to be set up, every single one of those things. From clearing to providing the roads to contractors for painting, steel works, all of these projects, there are many offshoot projects that all of you can take advantage of.”

“Civil works is one, but there are also catering services for things and training and many more opportunities that we can take advantage of. Many more hotels that are coming on board. There is a myriad of opportunities.”
Minister Walrond noted that while all registered small businesses can bid for small scale contracts, not everyone is equipped with the knowledge to bid. Notwithstanding, the same laws designed to ensure accountability for public spending, can also be roadblocks for persons bidding for contracts.
“Contrary to what some may want to say, we have a public procurement law which means that contracts are not handed out to people based on what you look like, who you might have voted for,” the Minister said.
“There’s a procurement system that is open and transparent and there is a law that we the Government instituted. This provides for total transparency, but it also opens the playing field for all of us. Every single Guyanese. We realise that the law can be a bit daunting. The process a bit cumbersome. It’s just being able to understand and navigate it. And that’s why we’re doing this training.”
Walrond, meanwhile, noted the steps that have been taken to be more inclusive of small businesses, such as removing the need for bid security for State contracts under $7 million. Monday’s training was a joint effort between Walrond’s Ministry, the Small Business Bureau (SBB) and the Public Procurement Commission (PPC).

Projects
Since its return to office, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration has been able to kick off some of its flagship projects. These include the gas-to-shore project and the new bridge over the Demerara River.
In Budget 2023, the gas-to-energy project received a $43.3 billion allocation. This allocation is in addition to the $24.6 billion injected into the start-up of the transformational project, which includes the construction of an integrated Natural Gas Liquid (NGL) Plant and the 300-megawatt (MW) Combined Cycle Power Plant at Wales, WBD.
The NGL and 300 MW power plant components of the gas-to-shore project, are meanwhile expected to cost US$759.8 million and will be financed through sources that include budgets and loan financing.
The scope of Guyana’s gas-to-energy project consists of the construction of 225 kilometres of pipeline from the Liza field in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana, where Exxon and its partners are currently producing oil.
It features approximately 200 kilometres of a subsea pipeline offshore that will run from Liza Destiny and Liza Unity Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels in the Stabroek Block to the shore. Upon landing on the West Coast Demerara shore, the pipeline would continue for approximately 25 kilometres to the NGL plant at Wales, West Bank Demerara.
The pipeline would be 12 inches wide, and is expected to transport per day some 50 million standard cubic feet (mscfpd) of dry gas to the NGL plant, but it has the capacity to push as much as 120 mscfpd.
The pipeline’s route onshore would follow the same path as the fibre optic cables, and will terminate at Hermitage, part of the Wales Development Zone (WDZ) which will house the gas-to-shore project.
Meanwhile, the new Demerara River bridge will be a fixed 2.65-kilometre four-lane high-span cable-stayed structure across the Demerara River, with the width of the driving surface being about 23.6 metres.
The bridge, which features a bicycle lane, will bring an end to closures to vehicular traffic with a 50-metre fixed high-span to cater for the free flow of vessels uninterrupted. The river will be dredged along a 13.5-kilometre stretch to accommodate large vessels. (G3)