Opposition eyes legal action against Government over “shady” procurement contracts
Guyana
The recent award of a $865M contract to construct a Pump Station at Belle Vue, West Bank Demerara, has once again called into question the criteria used by National Tender Board in awarding such large contracts.
Opposition Member of Parliament, David Patterson has already written to the Public Procurement Commission asking for a probe into the award of the multimillion-dollar contract, pointing out that the company that has been awarded the contract has not met the requirements set out by the same tender agency.
Patterson said a bigger challenge to the contract may be examined.
“I know of one contractor who tried to engage the Public Procurement Commission and got nowhere, and went to the Courts. So, I do reckon that that is the route we have to go if the Public Procurement Commission wants to continue to be partisan and non-functional, we will have to resort to the Court,” Mr. Patterson said,
He acknowledged that the Court process might be time consuming, but it will ultimately expose the inconsistency and interference in the procurement process.
In his estimation, corruption together with internal party politics seems to be dominating the procurement landscape in Guyana.
Patterson said the Procurement Commission has certainly not been following the Procurement Act.
He said persons with no prior construction experience are now being handed multi-million-dollar contracts, based solely on their closeness to the Government.
The Government has been sidestepping questions on many of the large contracts being handed out, while making known that the tender process is being followed and the rules adhered to.
Image: Contract-agreement