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Luncheon puzzled about Tender Board silence on New GPC award
By Latoya Giles
Government’s main spokesperson, Dr. Roger Luncheon, said that he finds it rather strange that the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board and the Ministry of Health claim that they still have not been informed about the award of drug prequalification.
Despite the fact that Luncheon, more than two months ago publicly announced that the New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation (GPC) has been given the go ahead as the nation’s sole prequalified drug supplier, the Ministry of Health claims that it still has not been informed.
According to Dr. Luncheon, since the acceptance of the results of the pre qualification exercise it is difficult to contemplate that a Cabinet decision that was pronounced on, somehow mysteriously, has not been formally communicated to the Tender Board.
Luncheon told Kaieteur News that he could provide a copy of the Cabinet decision which was sent to the Tender Board, if need arises. The Cabinet Secretary insisted too that there isn’t a way forward since the main reason for the pre-qualification was to avoid public tender.
“Every time the Ministry needs drugs, there would be a select group that it would extend the contract to and I can’t imagine that isn’t being done but the Ministry is still receiving drugs,” Luncheon told Kaieteur News.
Luncheon added that he found it rather strange that after addressing the media at his briefing weeks ago on the issue and reported that there was a Cabinet decision and that those results would be valid for 2016.
He said that there isn’t a single contract or award that is not indeed a function of NPTAB submission.
“For it to get on the agenda at any press briefing it had to have had an award issue, which is part of the law. What is more bothersome, the Ministry of Health sits and says nothing and since that award I came and made awards with other health drugs. Something is wrong,” Luncheon told Kaieteur News.
It is unclear why the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board is yet to advise the Ministry of Health about the results of its evaluation since the matter has been cleared by Cabinet. This dominated the spotlight in the public recently and is also subject to litigation.
Dr. Roger Luncheon, last July, announced that the Tender Board found that the new GPC was the only supplier that met all of the requirements set out in the revised criteria.
The New GPC is owned by Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop who happens to be the best friend of former President, Bharrat Jagdeo.
That company has been supplying the bulk of the drugs to the Ministry of Health and to the Government Public Hospital for the past 15 years, ever since it was acquired by Ramroop in 1999.
In defending the decision at the time, Dr. Luncheon told media operatives that the decision to award the contract to the New GPC was not tantamount to sole sourcing.
He said that the Tender Board picked New GPC from among seven companies that applied to be pre-qualified.
When asked if the criteria used to pre-qualify a company were not biased in favour of New GPC, Luncheon said, “The criterion is biased in favour of safety.” At least two bidders have publicly spoken about the award to New GPC. Trinidadian Conglomerate Ansa Mcal has spoken publicly and has questioned the award.
Chief Executive Officer of International Pharmaceutical Corporation (IPA), Lloyd Singh, has moved to courts for intervention. In his legal challenge to the Tender Board decision claims that the move by the Ministry was discriminatory of itself, or in its effect and decision.
He further argues that the decision by the Ministry was unconstitutional, in that it violated Article 149 and as such, has asked that the court orders the decision that New GPC be the sole prequalified supplier of drugs and medical supplies, null and void.
Singh wants the court to declare that the decision by the NPTAB, that the IPA did not satisfy the requirements, is unreasonable, unconstitutional, unlawful, null, void and of no legal effect.
According to the court documents filed by IPA, the company is looking to have the court declare that the revised criteria set out by the Ministry, violates the constitution and as such has no legal effect.
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