{"id":19639,"date":"2021-12-02T21:33:22","date_gmt":"2021-12-03T02:33:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev?p=19639"},"modified":"2021-11-30T20:40:41","modified_gmt":"2021-12-01T01:40:41","slug":"this-346m-contract-calls-into-question-whether-we-even-need-nptab","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/this-346m-contract-calls-into-question-whether-we-even-need-nptab\/","title":{"rendered":"This $346m contract calls into question whether we even need NPTAB"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guyana<\/p>\n

The National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) award of a $346 million contract to a local entity totally inexperienced in construction reveals the state of this country.\u00a0 Meaning, the operation of the minds of Guyana\u2019s political leaders, and those in our institutions that ensure compliance with their dictates.\u00a0 It is pointless to create a stink about this, because tomorrow, there will be another outcome either at NPTAB or from some other agency or person of the state.\u00a0 It will confirm the essence of what I present today; possibly something more outrageous.\u00a0 I memorialize this coldly and clinically, but it should not mask the utter meaningless of most, if not all, of our state apparatus.<\/p>\n

For starters, I congratulate the winners of the $346 million Bamia school contract on their good fortune, the power and fidelity of their political friends.\u00a0 Second, I thank the spokesperson for being truthful, which went something like this: we have not built anything, but we can manage money.\u00a0 In my own words, they build legacies.\u00a0 And now I go where this must, and leave the rest to observers, as to what we have for checks and balances, what we have for policies and procedures, and what we have for independence and integrity.\u00a0 The latter applies to anyone and anywhere that we desire to look, and to do so critically, but honestly.<\/p>\n

For we have a \u2018national tender board\u2019 and this results.\u00a0 We have procuring entities and bodies, and I have arrived at this place: call off the charades, and do away with them.\u00a0 Officially.\u00a0 I say this because, whether tenderer or procurer, Guyanese have been accustomed to seeing numerous advertisements informing the public about this or that project in the millions, sometimes billions.\u00a0 The advertisements have a format, with detailed descriptions of job, requirements.\u00a0 They are called \u2018Invitation to Bid\u2019 or \u2018Expression of Interest\u2019, among a small tight string of helpful information.\u00a0 They speak of compulsory criteria, specifications, skills, track record and equipment necessary, as starting points.\u00a0 It is reluctantly accepted that the lowest bid does not determine the winner, and similarly that almost everything else is nonnegotiable, particularly track record and vital qualifications and skills of contractors bidding.<\/p>\n

Now, when no experience in physically building (anything) is casually tossed out the window by NPTAB, I reach this place.\u00a0 NPTAB is not needed anymore.\u00a0 Criteria and standards mean nothing.\u00a0 The supposed search for and selection of so-called independent and principled Guyanese to oversee institutions like NPTAB, procurement boards, and procurement tribunals might as well be discarded into the dustbin forthwith.\u00a0 They are a joke.\u00a0 Other than for window dressing, as eye shadow and face foundation that runs and smears.\u00a0 We all look and are sorrier for it.\u00a0 Because then, anybody could say anything to justify their good fortune; and it stands, since that is the way things are today.<\/p>\n

I proceed into other areas.\u00a0 Likewise, the Police Complaints Authority, the police itself and GECOM (and many others of like stature) are all subject to manipulating to perform like puppets dancing the jigs of ministers and leaders, should circumstances demand.\u00a0 What happened with the $346 million award was glaring. Instead of asking how much like this left to come, it is better to rephrase as: there must be many more like this waiting.<\/p>\n

more<\/a><\/p>\n

image: pexels-rodolfo-quiro\u0301s<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Guyana The National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) award of a $346 million contract to a local entity totally inexperienced in construction reveals the state of this country.\u00a0 Meaning,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1091,"featured_media":19640,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[250],"tags":[121,190,116,158],"class_list":["post-19639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-articles","tag-caribbean","tag-construction","tag-guyana","tag-works"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/pexels-rodolfo-quiro%CC%81s-2219024-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6u9Qa-56L","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":24785,"url":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/nptab-defends-bids-for-wales-gas-plant\/","url_meta":{"origin":19639,"position":0},"title":"NPTAB defends bids for Wales gas plant","author":"Mayra Bonilla Lopez","date":"October 27, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Guyana The National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) has taken umbrage at criticisms of its prequalification of companies for the construction of the Wales natural gas plant, with officials saying that simply checking the board\u2019s website and those of companies that bid would clear up any doubts. \u201cYou have\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/pexels-kelly-4394362-scaled-e1666942716326.jpg?fit=1024%2C575&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/pexels-kelly-4394362-scaled-e1666942716326.jpg?fit=1024%2C575&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/pexels-kelly-4394362-scaled-e1666942716326.jpg?fit=1024%2C575&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/pexels-kelly-4394362-scaled-e1666942716326.jpg?fit=1024%2C575&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":36667,"url":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/guyana-news-ppc-rejected-complaint-over-contract-for-fort-wellington-school-extension\/","url_meta":{"origin":19639,"position":1},"title":"Guyana News PPC rejected complaint over contract for Fort Wellington school extension","author":"Mayra Bonilla Lopez","date":"October 10, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Guyana The Public Procurement Commission (PPC) last December rejected a complaint by a bidder over the award of a project for the extension of the Fort Wellington Secondary School but the procuring entity, the Ministry of Local Government never provided any of the requested information for the investigation. Bickram Motiram\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Business-Office-Contract-Agreement-Deal-rawpixel-Pixabay.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Business-Office-Contract-Agreement-Deal-rawpixel-Pixabay.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Business-Office-Contract-Agreement-Deal-rawpixel-Pixabay.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Business-Office-Contract-Agreement-Deal-rawpixel-Pixabay.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":35260,"url":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/jagdeo-hints-at-countrywide-prequalification-system-for-procurement\/","url_meta":{"origin":19639,"position":2},"title":"Jagdeo hints at countrywide prequalification system for procurement","author":"Mayra Bonilla Lopez","date":"July 18, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Guyana \u00a0 Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday stated that the strengthening of the procurement system will be continuing in the form of a countrywide prequalifying system allowing the Cabinet to have a full picture about companies bidding for projects. 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