Why is GPL taking so long to accept this contract?

Oct 20, 2016 Letters

Dear Editor;
I’m writing to follow up on a recent letter I sent. In my letter I had written about the pressure to resign faced by the project manager of the CH&PA. It’s now been almost three weeks since Mr. Wahab has vacated his post, because of the administrative pressure to do so. I wish him well in his future endeavours; we are truly losing some of our brightest in the name of politics. Should my letter be published I would like to also put foward a few questions again to the people in charge of the ICB No. GPL-IDB-EU-001-2015- Procurement of Works- Rehabilitation of the Medium and Low Voltage Distribution Network- Lot A. Only recently as of Saturday 15 October 2016, GPL issued letters to bidders asking for another extension for the award of the contract signed by the CEO of GPL, Mr.Renford Homer. Mr. Editor, this is now the second extension of the bids for the contract. This bid was closed since 22 February 2016, and the new extension will take us unto 2 February 2017. Can the CEO, the Board Chairman, the Minister of Public Infrastructure, the IDB or the project department say why another extension.
This is now an unprecedented amount of time for the evaluation of a tender. GPL continues to lose tens of millions on losses daily, but was very swift on awarding a consultancy contract to Manitoba Hydro to shadow managers and offer recommendations on how to improve efficiency within the corporation. Isn’t it more important to tackle loss reduction rather than management style for better efficiency? In closing I would like to ask what seems to be the hold up of this project, why is the evaluation taking so long? Didn’t the new administration offer us better efficiency and transparency? Contractors have been patient up to this point, every time an extension is required by GPL monies have to be spent for the bid extension through the banks with no sight of award. The future of this project looks bleak and so is the future of this country.
Michael Persaud

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