{"id":38110,"date":"2025-01-23T23:47:31","date_gmt":"2025-01-24T04:47:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev?p=38110"},"modified":"2025-03-10T10:04:28","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T15:04:28","slug":"ndia-still-to-update-procurement-commission-on-tepui-pump-station-contract","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/ndia-still-to-update-procurement-commission-on-tepui-pump-station-contract\/","title":{"rendered":"NDIA still to update procurement commission on Tepui pump station contract"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guyana<\/p>\n

More than a month later, the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) is still to be updated by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) on the progress of the Belle Vue pump station which was controversially awarded to Tepui Inc.<\/p>\n

A visit by the Sunday Stabroek to the site yesterday showed that very little work had been done since construction began on the $865m project at the end of January this year.<\/p>\n

After the PPC had told the Sunday Stabroek in July this year that it had not been given any updates on the progress of the project,\u00a0 Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha met with Lionel Wordsworth, Chairman of the NDIA on the matter.\u00a0 Wordsworth informed the Sunday Stabroek yesterday that the agency is \u201ccurrently working on\u201d providing the necessary documents to the procurement commission, with further updates expected by tomorrow.<\/span><\/p>\n

During a site visit to the Belle Vue pump station yesterday, construction work was observed but with only one excavator in operation at the time. A source reported that despite progress the project faces delays due to factors beyond the company\u2019s control, including a shortage of labour amid a construction boom, fuel supply issues and the challenging soft terrain affecting equipment performance. The source cited a recent incident where an excavator became stuck on site and was only removed after a few days due to the softness of the ground.<\/p>\n

Mustapha had assured the Sunday Stabroek last month that he would meet with the NDIA team to ensure that all required documents are submitted to the procurement commission. Information to the PPC is important as in an investigation of a complaint by APNU+AFC MP David Patterson, the procurement commission had expressly said that there should be careful monitoring of the project with a view to termination if necessary.<\/p>\n

Recommendation VII in the PPC\u2019s report of April 16, 2024 on Patterson\u2019s complaint stated: \u201cVII. The contract for the subject tender having been entered into, it is recommended that the procuring entity strictly monitor the performance of the contract and if the awarded bidder TEPUI is found in breach, that the necessary steps, including termination if considered to be prudent, be taken to ensure that value for money is achieved. In light of NPTAB\u2019s disclosure as to the other three (3) pump stations, to wit, \u2018Jimbo, Meten Meer Zorg and (Pouderoyen)\u2019 which were advertised and evaluated at the same time as the subject tender herein, Belle Vue, also `lacked prior experience specifically in pump station construction\u2019 but were deemed to have `had completed a project of a similar nature\u2019 and therefore the `same leniency was applied\u2019, the recommendation herein also applies to those pump stations. The commission pursuant to its constitutional mandate, functions and powers shall exercise oversight in this regard\u201d.<\/p>\n

The award of a pump station contract to the unqualified Tepui, whose principal, Mikhail Rodrigues is known to have close connections with Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and other members of the PPP\/C administration sparked a furore and the complaint by Patterson.<\/p>\n

Six months<\/strong><\/p>\n

More than six months after the complaint was lodged by Patterson, the procurement commission found major breaches in the evaluation process but said it could do nothing about it as a contract had already been concluded.<\/p>\n

The PPC said \u201c\u2026on the entry into a contract, privity of contract issues arise. There is nothing within the statutory framework which permits the commission to revoke, rescind, recall and or in any way alter, suspend or stop the contract once entered\u201d.<\/p>\n

The award of the $865m Belle Vue Pump Station to Tepui Inc had raised questions from the outset as its key principal, Rodrigues was not involved in construction.<\/p>\n

In its 35-page summary of April 16, 2024, the PPC elicited answers from the NPTAB \u2013 whose evaluation committee made the choice of Tepui \u2013 and the procuring agency, the NDIA. Not only were both tardy in answering the PPC, they only provided some of the documents requested.<\/p>\n

Tepui was required to have had the experience of having completed one project of a similar nature within the past five years. Similar projects \u201cshall include pump stations, sluices and drainage structures\u201d. Having been incorporated less than a year before, Tepui did not have these qualifications, yet the evaluation committee of the NPTAB found its bid to be responsive.<\/p>\n

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

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Image: pexels-aleks-marinkovic<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Guyana More than a month later, the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) is still to be updated by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) on the progress of the Belle…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1091,"featured_media":21179,"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":[116,71,125],"class_list":["post-38110","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-articles","tag-guyana","tag-procurement","tag-public-procurement"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pexels-aleks-marinkovic-5213545.jpg?fit=1024%2C674&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6u9Qa-9UG","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":36434,"url":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/ndia-still-to-provide-an-update-on-belle-vue-pump-station-info-for-ppc\/","url_meta":{"origin":38110,"position":0},"title":"NDIA still to provide an update on Belle Vue Pump Station info for PPC","author":"Mayra Bonilla Lopez","date":"September 26, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Guyana In the wake of Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha\u2019s July meeting with the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Chairman Lionel Wordsworth has yet to provide a promised update on the status of documentation required by the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) on the Belle Vue Pump Station project. Wordsworth, who\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\/04\/Irrigation-of-rice-field-using-water-pump.-IRRI-CGIAR-System-Organization-flickr.jpg?fit=1024%2C680&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Irrigation-of-rice-field-using-water-pump.-IRRI-CGIAR-System-Organization-flickr.jpg?fit=1024%2C680&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Irrigation-of-rice-field-using-water-pump.-IRRI-CGIAR-System-Organization-flickr.jpg?fit=1024%2C680&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Irrigation-of-rice-field-using-water-pump.-IRRI-CGIAR-System-Organization-flickr.jpg?fit=1024%2C680&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":33040,"url":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/agri-minister-says-works-underway-on-pump-station-controversially-awarded-to-tepui\/","url_meta":{"origin":38110,"position":1},"title":"Agri Minister says works underway on pump station controversially awarded to Tepui","author":"Mayra Bonilla Lopez","date":"March 7, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Guyana \u2013 despite serious complaint before procurement commission Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on Wednesday announced that works had started on January 30th on the Belle Vue Pump station controversially awarded to the company, Tepui despite the fact that serious complaints have been made about its ineligibility for the task. The\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\/2024\/03\/pexels-connor-forsyth-3971795-scaled-e1709849392312.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/pexels-connor-forsyth-3971795-scaled-e1709849392312.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/pexels-connor-forsyth-3971795-scaled-e1709849392312.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/pexels-connor-forsyth-3971795-scaled-e1709849392312.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":37619,"url":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/procurement-commission-derelict-in-not-acting-against-tepui-contract-patterson\/","url_meta":{"origin":38110,"position":2},"title":"Procurement commission derelict in not acting against Tepui contract \u2013 Patterson","author":"Mayra Bonilla Lopez","date":"December 15, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Guyana The fact that the procurement commission found major breaches in the evaluation process but said it could do nothing about the pump station contract awarded to Tepui Inc., is a dereliction of duty and indication of incompetence says APNU+AFC Member of Parliament David Patterson. \u201cFrom their response alone (the\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\/08\/Contract-agreement-signature-Pixabay-Pexels.jpeg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Contract-agreement-signature-Pixabay-Pexels.jpeg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Contract-agreement-signature-Pixabay-Pexels.jpeg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Contract-agreement-signature-Pixabay-Pexels.jpeg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":37184,"url":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/the-dereliction-of-the-public-procurement-commission\/","url_meta":{"origin":38110,"position":3},"title":"The dereliction of the Public Procurement Commission","author":"Mayra Bonilla Lopez","date":"November 14, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Guyana \u00a0 Can it possibly be the case that the historic constitutional reforms of over two decades ago conceived of a Public Procurement Commission (PPC) that would be toothless? Is it conceivable that upon examining a hopelessly flawed tender that the PPC would do nothing about an improperly awarded contract\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\/08\/Contract-agreement-signature-Pixabay-Pexels.jpeg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Contract-agreement-signature-Pixabay-Pexels.jpeg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Contract-agreement-signature-Pixabay-Pexels.jpeg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Contract-agreement-signature-Pixabay-Pexels.jpeg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":33767,"url":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/feud-between-critic-mohamed-could-spell-end-of-controversial-pump-station-contract\/","url_meta":{"origin":38110,"position":4},"title":"Feud between `Critic\u2019, Mohamed could spell end of controversial pump station contract","author":"Mayra Bonilla Lopez","date":"April 18, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Guyana A feud between social media personality, Mikhail Rodrigues and businessman, Azruddin Mohamed over finances could bring an end to the controversial award of the $865m Belle Vue pump station which had come under attack by opposition MPs. On social media yesterday, Mohamed disclosed that the contract of the Tepui\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\/2024\/04\/pexels-introspectivedsgn-9216590-scaled-e1713481531966.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/pexels-introspectivedsgn-9216590-scaled-e1713481531966.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/pexels-introspectivedsgn-9216590-scaled-e1713481531966.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/pexels-introspectivedsgn-9216590-scaled-e1713481531966.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":36947,"url":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/opposition-calls-for-probe-of-nptab-procurement-system\/","url_meta":{"origin":38110,"position":5},"title":"Opposition calls for probe of NPTAB, procurement system","author":"Mayra Bonilla Lopez","date":"November 1, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Guyana The opposition APNU+AFC yesterday called for a probe of the national tender board and the procurement system in the wake of the scandalous award of the Belle Vue Pump Station contract to Tepui Inc. In a statement, it said that the findings of the Public Procurement Com-mission (PPC) on\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\/2024\/07\/pexels-dariabuntaria-2678104-scaled-e1721583477683.jpg?fit=1024%2C679&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/pexels-dariabuntaria-2678104-scaled-e1721583477683.jpg?fit=1024%2C679&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/pexels-dariabuntaria-2678104-scaled-e1721583477683.jpg?fit=1024%2C679&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/pexels-dariabuntaria-2678104-scaled-e1721583477683.jpg?fit=1024%2C679&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38110","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1091"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38110"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38110\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38768,"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38110\/revisions\/38768"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21179"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38110"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38110"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}