Dear Editor,
The National Procurement and Tender Administration Act 2003 was activated to ensure that every contractor and supplier in Guyana, and even overseas, is given equal access to bid for contracts.
Since the coalition Government’s assumption of office in 2015, the Procurement Act has become more or less a political tool to ensure those political activist friends and families of various APNU/AFC Government officials are being awarded contracts.
Let me compliment the Opposition Leader, Cde Bharrat Jagdeo, for constantly exposing the coalition Government in violating the Public Procurement Act, and the rampant corruption in every section of this APNU/AFC Government.
Only recently, the Special Projects Unit invited contractors to submit bids for the “Weeding, Cleaning and Maintenance of the West Coast (Berbice) and Corentyne, Berbice Public Road Shoulders, Region 5 and 6 Project”, this project would cost taxpayers in excess of one hundred million dollars, and only fifteen selected contractors were given bids.
The specific contracts were divided into eight lots to facilitate the cronies, and would be awarded by the ministerial tender board. If an investigation should be conducted on the names of the contractors, we would conclude they are either APNU or AFC councillors, activist friends, or families of the coalition Government.
According to the Public Procurement Act 2003 Section 30(1), a procuring entity shall solicit tenders by causing an invitation to tender to be published in newspapers of wide circulation and post in public places…as the Constitution of Guyana continues to be ignored to facilitate corruption by the APNU/AFC coalition Government.
Why was there no public tendering for this specific contract? The conclusion is that this will enable certain contractors to be guarantee contracts.
This trend is evident in all the procurement processes in Guyana presently. Competitive bidding promotes effectiveness in procurement, and discourages monopoly situations; avoids favouritism, and will ensure taxpayers get the best deal in terms of value when it is publicly tendered.
The main reason for the diversion by the Government to this method of procurement is because of the excellent work of chairman of the PAC, Mr Irfaan Alli, who continues to expose corruption.
The public procurement system is to ensure the procurement of goods and services and the execution of works are conducted in a fair, equitable, transparent, competitive, and cost effective manner, according to the laws.
Sincerely,
Zamal Hussain,
Regional Councillor,
Regional Democratic Council
Region Six
