Jagdeo advocates disciplinary action against negligent procurement officials

In a resolute appeal at his weekly press conference on Thursday, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo emphasised the need for strict disciplinary measures against procurement officials who fail to fulfil their duties responsibly.
His remarks follow his recent meeting with Permanent Secretaries and Regional Executive Officers to convey the government’s zero-tolerance policy for breaches, failures, and corruption within the procurement process.
“People should face responsibility,” he stated, reinforcing the government’s commitment to maintaining integrity in procurement
“We have made it clear that we will not countenance any departure from the procurement act and regulations that form part of the legislation governing procurement in Guyana.”
Jagdeo highlighted a specific case involving the head of an evaluation committee who neglected proper bid evaluations, merely recording prices instead of thoroughly assessing the submissions. This oversight compromises the evaluation committee’s report, which is crucial for cabinet decisions on contractor selections.
“That’s not simple dereliction of duty; that is a grave dereliction of duty,” Jagdeo asserted, advocating for the official’s termination.
The Vice President underscored that accountability is essential, citing instances where engineers were dismissed for collusion and approving substandard work.
According to the Vice President, while 95 per cent of projects are executed efficiently, he acknowledged that the remaining 5 per cent exhibit concerning issues, such as sole sourcing and restrictive tendering.
“While we continue to implement the projects that are doing well, there is no intention to turn a blind eye to the 5 per cent that have transgressions,” he said.
As recently as Tuesday, the vice president issued a stern warning to public sector agencies’ heads and accounting officers in reaffirming the government’s commitment to enforcing strict compliance with procurement rules. He has made it clear that any departure from these regulations would not be tolerated.
He acknowledged the challenges agencies face in managing the country’s “unprecedented” Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP); and while commending public servants for successfully implementing most of those projects despite resource constraints, he expressed concern over issues in procurement practices.
Pointing out that there have been some deviations from the Procurement Act and the Standard Bidding Document despite the time and effort spent in developing these advanced legislative frameworks, Jagdeo stressed that all public officials must familiarise themselves with the Procurement Act and Standard Bidding Documents, and fully comply with the rules.
On the rare occasion that the need should arise to depart from the Standard Bidding Documents, he said, it should occur only with prior approval from the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB).
He said officials would be evaluated on their adherence to these guidelines, moving forward. He urged accounting officers to ensure that contracts focus solely on essential project deliverables moving forward, and not be used for the comfort of their own agencies.