No procurement commission, no problem – says Edghill

Sep 10, 2013 News

---

 
While Junior Finance Minister, Juan Edghill has categorically stated that the government is in full support of the public procurement commission, he is insisting that Guyana will not suffer from any disadvantage from the stalled implementation of the Public Procurement commission.

Edghill stated, “Government is in full support of the procurement commission which is responsible for monitoring the process involved in ensuring that the procurement of goods, services and the carrying out of works are conducted in a fair, equitable, transparent manner. However, it is quite unfortunate that it is being used by political forces, mainly from the opposition, as a bargaining chip to support other legislations.”
“The Public Procurement Commission (PPC) should be paid attention to as part of the accountability framework that the government has put in place through its legislative agenda.”
Minister Edghill said that what is required now is an agreement at the political level about the names and the submission to go forward.”
Moreover, it was reported that there was a timeframe that was agreed upon for the establishment of the PPC last year. The Minister said that he was not aware of any agreed time frame.
He said, “I am aware that at the political level, there is dialogue that is taking place with regard to this particular matter.”
“While the government is prepared to go to the table of negotiations and talk about getting this all important commission in place, one hand can’t clap. We still need to get the support of the opposition.
“It is a clear case that the opposition with its one-seat majority shows no regard for the concerns or views of the government. It is a ‘take this or nothing approach,’ and that is what we have from them as it relates to simple matters like the commission.”
“You are talking about timeframe but you have an opposition that is using its vote; so how could I or anybody from the government dictate when something would be concluded with such a mood coming from the opposition?”
Edghill stated that he does not believe that the government should be tied to a time line to implement something when you have to have the engagement of the opposition.
When the Minister was asked about the compromises that the government is seeking, he stated that at the political level, “Government has already said that Cabinet’s role in offering no objections to contracts is something that we feel strongly about. How could you be asking us to be accountable for projects and the spending of money when you don’t have a say?”
In this present model of PPC, Edghill said that while the government is seeking to protect their agenda, the opposition has already named publically who are their representatives and those individuals have been persons who have been publically rehearsing and echoing opposition sentiments.”
He fears that the PPC will only be a reflection of what is going on in parliament.
Edghill further explained that Guyana suffers from no disadvantage of the non establishment of the PPC as there are other mechanisms in place.
“In the present law, the National Procurement and Tender Administration offers a contract whilst cabinet would only play a no objection role. We don’t give out contracts, the tender board does that. If someone who would have tendered for a job and they feel aggrieved, there is a process that they are asked to go through.
The Board having received notice, based upon the law, will have to move to what is called a Bid Protest Committee.”
“In the bid protest committee, you have a representative that comes from the Attorney General’s Chambers, a representative of the procuring entity involved with the bid and a representative that is named by the Ministry of Finance, hence making it a three-person committee which is bound by timeline.”
“After you would have lodged your protest, the committee would be in place by a number of days. Having received all the details they would make their pronouncement within a number of days.
“It’s not a long drawn out process. While the Bid Protest Committee is doing its work, you can’t go ahead with the contract because you have to await the decision so it carries with it the same relief granted by a court but with greater swiftness.”
The Minister stated that in an effort to bring about greater accountability and strengthen the evaluation process, in 2012, some changes were made to the format of the procurement process.
He said that there was a change in the format of the bidding documents which was done to ensure that all parties are aware of all the information that will be required on which they would be judged to determine who will be the most successful bidder.
He said that the change significantly strengthens the evaluation process.

---

---