The Ministry of Blue and Green Economy, Agriculture and National Food Security, in April 2021, signed contracts valued at nearly EC$4 .5 million dollars with two regional companies (St. Lucia and Jamaica), for the procurement of Agricultural Tools, Equipment and Supplies for distribution to crop farmers under the Emergency Agriculture Livelihoods and Climate Resilience Project (EALCRP), the World Bank Funded Project.
T-MAX Supplies Ltd of St. Lucia with contract valued at EC$3,515,437.50, will supply the project with Hand Tools, Motorized Equipment and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE’s) for agricultural production. While, ISRATECH Jamaica Ltd, with a contract valued at
US$ 345,040.97, will deliver agricultural supplies.
The Agricultural Tools, Equipment and Supplies for the restoration of crop production will include: Hand Tools (forks, hand spades, pick axes, hoes and Secateurs. Agricultural Supplies (water hoses, wheel barrows, water tanks, harvesting and banana trays, drip irrigation kits, shade nettings, trellis wire and potting soil). PPE’s (Eye protectors, gloves, respirators and cartridges). Motorized Equipment (Knapsack sprayers, mist blowers, rotavators, brush cutters, water pumps and wood shedders).
More
Image: pexels-mark-stebnicki
Read more
Following allegations of procurement irregularities, the state-owned Guyana Oil Company recently advertised and received 18 Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from prospective suppliers of petroleum products.
“The response received was a lot… we got 18 EOIs,” Chairman of Guyoil’s Board of Directors Paul Cheong told Sunday Stabroek on Thursday when contacted.
All of the EOIs will be evaluated according to the criteria set out, which includes that the seller must supply documentary proof that they have a history of supplying and the financial wherewithal to meet the terms set out by the company.
It was made clear to prospective suppliers that this was only the first part in the quest for a supplier as “this is a Request for Expression of Interest only; thus, selected companies will be invited to participate in the Request for Proposal (RFP) thereafter.”
Guyoil had last month put out a notice for the submissions of EOIs to supply it with petroleum products and the deadline for submissions was last Wednesday, June 2, 2021.
“The Guyana Oil Company… (issues) an Expression of Interest for the FOB and CIF supply of gasoline, kerosene, low Sulphur diesel, Jet A1 and fuel oil. CIF Guyana is to be delivered to two independent ports in Georgetown and Berbice. FOB supply of the said products is to be uplifted from the supplier’s respective storage facilities which must be identified,” the company’s call for EOIs stated.
It added that prices for the products will be based on Platts US Gulf Coast mean, three days average around Bill of Lading date and the seller shall provide fixed differentials for each product grade for the term of the contract.
Guyoil stated that open credit is a requirement and when the monies are paid it will be via wire transfer.
On the quality and quantity of the products, it will be witnessed by a mutually agreed independent inspector and the company and supplier will split the cost of payment.
In April, allegations were made by proprietor of Aaron Royality Inc (ARI), Jayson Aaron that his company had been left with a large quantity of fuel on hand after a commitment to purchase was made by Guyoil officials. He also claimed that he had evidence of the commitments by officials of the company who also tried to solicit kickbacks.
Aaron also released an audio recording and images of WhatsApp conversations he claimed to have had with officials.
Following the allegations, Minister with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh had invited the Auditor General to investigate and sounded a warning that corruption will not be tolerated. It is unclear why Guyoil had been dealing directly with suppliers like Aaron rather than going immediately to tendering or borrowing fuel from an established supplier.
Auditor Deodat Sharma last week told this newspaper that the investigations have been completed and a draft report is being prepared.
He explained that his mandate pertained to investigating “whether a particular supplier had a contract or did not have a contract to supply fuel for Guyoil and whether the proper procedures were followed.”
Asked if the investigation looked at allegations made by ARI that if kickbacks were given to officials of the state company then it would get a contract, Sharma said it did and added that his office would request police investigations if it believed it was warranted.
He explained that his mandate pertained to investigating “whether a particular supplier had a contract or did not have a contract to supply fuel for Guyoil and whether the proper procedures were followed.”
Late last month, Aaron was arrested and questioned for allegedly falsifying the series of WhatsApp messages he released. He has since been released on $100,000 bail and that matter is pending.
Image: Pexels-Canva studio
Read more
The National Procurement and Tender Administration Board’s (NPTAB) new website and portal is now fully operational and Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh has pledged to ensure it is always updated and is appealing to bidders to maximise their use of it.
“The portal is up and I must emphasise that it is extremely important, not only because of the law, but transparency. This gives bidders and the public the opportunity to see what is happening, even as it ensures that the Procurement Act is adhered to,” Singh told Stabroek News when contacted.
“It is our hope that the public, especially bidders, makes maximum use of it as they check not only how tenders are awarded but ensure that lawful processes are followed,” he added.
The website can be accessed at www.NPTA.gov.gy. Under its motto: Transparency, Efficiency, Fairness and Accountability in Public Sector Procurement, the site has seven navigational links. Users are given the opportunity to browse through procurement opportunities, tenders awarded, minutes of tender openings, and procurement documents.
A link for releases from the agency can also be accessed and that link has a sub-heading for the list of all companies barred from bidding here.
Users are also given links to key resources on the right hand side of the page where a general Public Procurement Guide, Standard Evaluation Criteria Handbook, and help to understanding the complaints system are listed.
In late March, NPTAB Chairman Tarachand Balgobin had told this newspaper that the online portal for the posting of all government contracts had been completed and would be launched at a seminar for Permanent Secretaries and their procurement support staff.
It is unclear if the seminar has taken place but checks by this newspaper show the website is functional with bids from December 2020 to April 22 being posted.
It was the Senior Minister who last month announced that the online portal for the publishing of all awards of government contracts was being set up by NPTAB, in light of the continuing complaints over the secrecy of awards.
“It is an issue that came to me and I raised this issue as well that we are required to publish the awards as mandated by law,” Dr Singh had previously told this newspaper when he had been contacted on the issue.
“For whatever reason, they have not been publishing as is required. I raised this with the NPTAB Board and my position is that they must comply. It is to this end that they are currently working on an online portal to have this addressed. They will publish all things required by the Procurement Act,” he had added.
Bidders have long complained that after spending sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars on bid documents and submitting tenders, contracts are awarded and they are not given any reasons for the rejection of their bids.
Bemoaning a system which has long left bidders out of the loop on what happened to their tenders, some contractors had further complained and urged that given the global COVID-19 pandemic, when most institutions have gone virtual, it would be more practical to have the information online.
Balgobin said that the current administration of NPTAB understands how vital it is, not only for abiding by the Procurement Act but also giving bidders the opportunity to know the outcome of tenders submitted, while at the same time empowering them also to correct areas that may have led to their tender being deemed non-responsive.
The Senior Minister yesterday echoed this position as he implored the public to use the site.
“I had emphasised the importance that the NPTAB keep this information up to date and all information is published as per the Procurement Act and I am echoing that position now. But most importantly, I hope that the site is used as much as possible. I ask bidders, procuring agencies, the public; everyone to help us make the system better,” Singh said.
more
Image: pexels-cottonbro
Read more
Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley has stoutly defended her administration’s handling of contracts, in an apparent response to a growing outcry from the public about one construction firm receiving all major government projects.
In fact, Mottley told a gathering today at the re-opening of the St Andrew Outpatient Clinic that lawmakers recognize that there will be times in the affairs of the nation when what she described as emergency and specialized procurement are critical.
“Now if the loss of $2 billion, and the absence of economic activity, and the absence of sufficient publicly-owned enterprises as opposed to privately-owned companies is in the condition that we know it is, then the only entity that can bring relief to the people of this nation is the Government of Barbados.
“And I could transpose that to the Bahamas, to Antigua, to St Kitts, to Aruba, to the United States of America. What is Mr [Joe] Biden’s stimulus package? Support to individuals and infrastructure and greening. And why? Because if we don’t do it now, who will fall through the cracks? . . . That is our reality,” Mottley said.
On Thursday, callers on the popular Voice of Barbados radio programme raised concerns regarding businessman Mark Maloney’s Preconco Limited being awarded the contract to develop a premium housing project at Chancery Lane, Christ Church, without going through a tender. The concern was also raised that Maloney appears to be receiving the majority of the Government projects, as well as the Hyatt Ziva Barbados.
Minister of Housing Dr William Duguid in response, told the radio programme that the award of construction contracts under the Government’s new BDS$250 million Home Ownership Providing Energy (HOPE) programme was transparent and above board. He said 18 contractors submitted expressions of interest in the HOPE Project and after thorough evaluation, 15 were selected and all would get the opportunity to be part of the project.
Dr Duguid explained that the 15 are directed to the HOPE Direct project which is the one at Lancaster and the HOPE Direct company will be incorporating them into being able to build houses for the Hope direct section.
However, the Prime Minister said the issue of what is legitimate procurement and what is not, appears to be bedeviling people. Mottley stressed that Barbadians need to recognize that if the serious financial and other problems facing the country are not resolved at this time, the possibility stands that there will be no future for many.
She said: “Now if we have to hold the centre, do we do it with frivolous projects, or do we do it with projects that make a difference to the lives of ordinary people? This project makes a difference to that lady in your congregation who may have poor circulation, who may need to have regular interaction with medical personnel, but whose son is laid off temporarily for the last six weeks.
more
Image: Pixabay
Read more
Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) on Thursday complained that only a small percentage of state contracts are going to its contractors.
A release from the Region follows:
Over the years the Regional Democratic Council of Region 10 has made it clear that the preferred methodology is that the people of Region 10 participate in the provision of goods and services that contribute to the development of this Region. This would mean that attention should be given to the award of contracts to residents of the Region in which these development projects are being executed, especially in the communities along our rivers and in Amerindian villages.
On his first visit and interaction with the RDC here, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Nigel Dharmlall had endorsed this position, stating that he was sure that residents of the Region possess the skills to execute these projects and that contract applications by residents of the Region should carry greater weight than those from outside of the Region. Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton is also on record during his visit to Linden stating that even if residents, and especially women and youths, do not have the skills necessary to carry out these projects, then he would advocate for the training of these persons before the award of the contracts to ensure that persons from Region 10 get these contracts.
These positions all agree with the call of the RDC of Region 10 for residents of our Region to actively participate in the execution of these development projects by way of being awarded these contracts. The Regional Tender Board is made up of persons all appointed by the current government and one would have thought that if they really had the interest of the people of Region 10 at heart, then it would have been an easy task to have these projects awarded in accordance with their public utterances. However it is apparent that these utterances are just for show and political grandstanding, because when these projects are awarded by the very Tender Boards that the government exacts control over, we see that over 70% of these contracts are awarded to persons resident outside of Region 10.
Make no mistake, these are not unduly technical contracts. Our residents are equally capable of constructing drains, building schools and health posts, constructing security huts and building revetments. Indeed, because our contractors reside in these communities, and their employees live where the work is being undertaken, they cannot afford to deliver shoddy and substandard work. Other persons coming into these communities and leaving with the income they make are insulated by distance from the work they put out, and are not as intimately familiar with the tides of the rivers and its effect on the revetments and wharves to be built, the soil composition, swampy history and drainage patterns of some of our areas and the effect (or lack thereof) of the drains they build.
The Regional Democratic Council of Region 10 will continue to also press forward with our demand to decide on our representatives on the Regional Tender Board. The law is clear and it states that apart from the appointments made at the national level, the other appointments are made by the REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION. The Regional Administration works FOR and ON BEHALF OF the elected Chairman and Councilors of the Regional Democratic Council in question, and acts on the lawful instructions of the Council. The RDC Region 10 is therefore adamant that our Regional Administration is not a law unto themselves nor are they controlled and directed by the Ministry of Local Government if the tenets of the laws governing the establishment of the Regional Councils are to be followed. What is currently being propogated is that the Administration through the Regional Executive Office alone decides on the persons appointed to serve on the Regional Tender Board, including choosing which Councilors should sit there. This must be corrected forthwith, since the Administration simply executes the decisions of the Council and should not be allowed to carry out these important functions in contravention to the direction of the Council.
We will therefore continue to insist that the Regional Executive Officer of Region 10, who acts as the Chairman of the Regional Tender Board, consult with and recognize the decision of the Regional Democratic Council of Region 10 with respect to those persons who sit on this Tender Board apart from those nominated by the National Procurement and Tender Administration. Avenues of redress to this situation are currently being explored and will definitely be exercised.
more
image: pexels-cytonn
Read more
