Five-member Public Procurement Commission sworn in

Oct 29, 2016 News

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– Granger urges body to be independent, impartial and fair
After years of wrangling, Guyana has finally made a major breakthrough with the handling of its state contracts.
Yesterday, President David Granger oversaw the swearing in of five members of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC), a body that will replace Cabinet’s role in approving state contracts.

When the commission kicks into gear, and with a secretariat in place, it will oversee the awards of contracts and handle complaints from peeved contractors.
There have been numerous complaints over the years of interference by state officials into contract awards, with deep suspicions that even the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) was infected and was more of a rubber stamp.
Last year, the Granger administration, on entering office, immediately moved to install new NPTAB members, amidst calls for an overhaul in the procurement system to ensure transparency and accountability.
According to Vice President and Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan, the realization of the commission is a major campaign promise to overhaul the state’s procurement process.
Sworn in were Emily Dodson, a lawyer by profession; Carol Corbin, wife of former Opposition Leader, Robert Corbin; Dr. Nanda Gopaul, a trade unionist and former Labour Minister under the previous administration; University of Guyana lecturer, Sukrishnalall Pasha, and Ivor English, former head of the Maritime Administration and an official of the Critchlow Labour College.
The commission will now have to meet and select a Chairperson.
During the swearing in ceremony at the Ministry of the Presidency, President Granger noted that the Constitution of Guyana mandates the establishment of the PPC.
It was supposed to be established over 14 years ago, but was delayed time and again after differences between the Opposition and consecutive administrations of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic on the members and law changes.
Granger stressed that the commission’s purpose is to ensure that the procurement of goods and services and execution of works are conducted in a fair, equitable, transparent, competitive and cost effective manner, according to law, and such policy guidelines as may be determined by the National Assembly.
“The Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana is sacrosanct. Its provisions must be observed and applied scrupulously. Its authority must never be diminished or ignored. The establishment of the Public Procurement Commission represents respect for the supreme law of the land,” the President urged.
He noted that the National Assembly of Guyana and, particularly, the Public Accounts Committee, bear responsibility for the selection of the members of the commission.
“The bi-partisan process of selection is a demonstration that, however intractable political differences might seem, the bases for political agreement and consensus on matters of national interest should always be sought.”
The Head of State also iterated the body’s commitment to the principles of accountability and transparency in the conduct of public business.
“The establishment of the commission evinces the importance of ensuring equity and fairness in public procurement. I congratulate you – the members of the Public Procurement Commission – and urge you all to be faithful to the oath you have just sworn.”
He charged the PPC members to uphold their constitutional duty and to be independent, impartial and fair.
Present also at the event were Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo; Vice President and Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan; Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Jaipaul Sharma; Minister of State, Joseph Harmon and relatives of the commission members.
According to Minister Ramjattan, the PPC’s establishment was one of the biggest lobbying points of the AFC while in the opposition. “This is one of our biggest lobbying points to get proper accountability in this country and I am so proud that it has happened in the first half of our term, after waiting for more than a decade,” he said.
He said that he is relieved that decisions on contracts will have to be made by another body, rather than the Cabinet “because contract awarding in my view is an occupational hazard for a minister”.
He admitted that there will be challenges but the members are all experienced persons.
The reality of the PPC is a “big, big plus” for governance in the country, and is in keeping with the constitutional amendments made.
“The Cabinet’s role will fade away and it will now be the task of the Procurement Commission (to oversee state contracts).”
Meanwhile, with regards to the workings of the Bid Protests Committee, Ramjattan noted that the body will eventually be phased out, once it completes its works.
That committee was established a few months ago to hear complaints, in the absence of the PPC.
Questioned about concerns over the speed of the PPC becoming operationalised, Ramjattan admitted that sometimes the bureaucracy creates bottlenecks. However, it is important that the PPC members have been sworn in so that work can start, he said.

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