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No political interference at Tender Board –says De Clou
Head of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) NPTAB, Donald De Clou, has debunked the
Head of Tender Board, Donald De Clou
concept that Cabinet sidelined the Board and awarded a US$57.6 M contract for the East Coast Demerara Highway project to China Railway Group.
The contention is that there was intense lobbying by an ex-government official.
Since the published reports on Cabinet sidelining the Administration, members of A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change have expressed their concerns over political interference in the work executed by the board.
Yesterday, De Clou said that the entity has always been independent and that he never came across any level of Cabinet interference.
Four Chinese construction companies had tendered for the Ministry of Public Works project to widen the East Coast Demerara public road. In the end the contract was awarded to China Railway First Group Company Limited which had the lowest bid.
This company is also the contractor for the Amaila Falls Hydro-Electric Project. And as part of a continued deal with government, it was gifted two plots of land to continue its work on a critical section of the access road at a reduced price.
China Harbour Engineering Co. Ltd, the contractor in the US$150M expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, submitted a bid for US$60.4M ($12B).
Meanwhile, China National Machinery Import/Export Company Limited, which was involved in the construction of the problematic US$200M Skeldon expansion project, submitted a proposal for US$55.6M ($11B).
The highest bid came from China State Construction Engineering Corporation for US$71.4M. The Engineer’s estimate for the project was US$57.6M.
Cabinet gave its no objection to the award of US $42.7 M contract for the road widening and upgrading of the East Coast Demerara road from Better Hope to Belfield.
But the Chinese company actually put in a bid for US$46.9M, an $8.7B difference.
Chief Works Officer of the Ministry of Public Works, Jeffrey Vaughn, had concluded that the reason for the difference could possibly be because “there was a change in the cost facilitated by cross checks. They realized that there were errors in the bill.”
Vaughn had said that evaluators have to cross check their figures. “The first thing that has to be done is that you have to cross check tenders to make sure that the bills submitted by the contractor is correct, all multiplications and additions have to be done correctly.
“If there is any variation we would put the variation and put what is the right amount.”
The East Coast Demerara widening project will be one of the costliest in recent times in terms of infrastructural works, after the ongoing CJIA and Marriott.
When asked yesterday to comment on accusations that Cabinet had sidelined the tender board after being lobbied by an ex-government official and the concerns over political interference at the Administration, Tender Board head, De Clou said, “In a case where a contract has not been awarded I would not give a comment. I refuse to. It is only when a contract has been signed between the parties involved that it means it was awarded.
“When cabinet gives its no-objection it does not mean that the contract was awarded to that company and people need to understand the difference between a contract being awarded and one where a no-objection was granted.”
Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Juan Edghill, explained yesterday what exactly is meant when Cabinet gives its no-objection to. “When a project is advertised, bids are received, they are then evaluated and a recommendation is made from the evaluators to the NPTAB.
“The Tender board would then say whether it agrees or not and if it agrees, then it would make a recommendation for the said company to receive the contract to Cabinet. Cabinet would then look at it and if it deems that everything is in order, grant its no-objection for the recommendation. Afterwards, it is now up to Tender Board to proceed.”
De Clou added, “As it relates to concerns over political interference at the Tender Administration, let me make it clear that we have always been an independent entity and we are allowed to be independent. I have never come across any level of Cabinet interference.”
“I will not comment on any contract that has not been awarded because it means that that process is incomplete.”
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