Government to remove stumbling blocks in bid process

Oct 09, 2016 News

The coalition government plans to create a level playing field for new entrants to the bidding process for government contracts. For more than 20 years, contractors without three years’ experience on Government contracts were at a disadvantage.

This was disclosed by Basil Williams, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs at his party’s weekly press conference.

Williams added that upon entering government, the coalition inherited rules that would make it difficult for new companies to win bids for government contracts. This, he said, was because of the numerous requirements they would have to meet before companies can even apply to bid.

One of these, the AG said, is the requirement that a company must have at least three years’ experience in the award and execution of contracts. There is also the requirement that companies must have executed a contract in excess of above a certain monetary value.

“Guyanese people have been in the wilderness for 23 years, because they were discriminated against and marginalised by the last government. If you were PNC there was no way you could get any contracts. Even if you were not PNC but anti-PPP there was no way you could get a contract,” Williams said.

The AG said that these requirements will continue to give PPP-favoured contractors access to government contracts, while shutting out the people who voted for change. He added the government is prepared to remove those stumbling blocks, creating a level playing field for all.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, met with members of the General Contractors Association of Guyana (GCAG) earlier in the year, and committed to working closely with the Ministries of Public Infrastructure and Business to ensure that small contractors are awarded 20 per cent of all government contracts as enshrined in the law.

The Minister explained that the government will be addressing a number of issues related to the award of public tenders, including the qualifications of contractors to execute government projects.

Additionally, the government is working on policy decisions with regard to compliance in National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).

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