900 companies prequalified for Public Infrastructure contracts

Jan 05, 2017 News

With the 2017 Budget Debates completed, now is the time when “the tyres will be hitting the road” said the

Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin

Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson. His Ministry was holding its 2016 Year-in-Review media engagement yesterday at the Transport and Harbours Sports Complex, Thomas Lands, Georgetown.
The Minister said that Government’s commitment to allow 20 percent of government procurement to go to small contractors has been realised.
He said that when the Ministry closed its pre-qualification on December 29, last year, which saw the shortlisting of contractors eligible to bid for Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MPI) projects, the highest number of applicants was recorded.
“I’m pleased to announce that we had over 900 applications – the largest number ever. Applications came from small, medium and large contractors and (this) indicates to me that there is a high interest. The contractors now feel that they have a genuine chance of being successful in 2017.”
Patterson said that this is coupled with ‘the fact’ that in Budget 2017, there is a provision for contractors to gain their compliance and will be given three months to correct indentified deficiencies. This, he explained, is opposed to what existed before, where persons were required to correct their deficiencies before applying.
Readers would recall that prior to the presentation of the $250B National Budget, Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin, had stated that a provision in the Small Business Act allows for small businesses to get 20 percent of Government contracts. He had also stated that the Small Business Bureau’s appointed Council is on stream.
This Council was appointed more than five months ago and comprises the Chief Executive Officer of the

Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson

Small Business Bureau; representatives of the Ministry of Business; Ministry of Finance; the Linden Chamber of Commerce; Berbice Chamber of Commerce; Guyana Small Business Association; Guyana Craft Producers Association; Institute of Private Enterprise Development; Guyana Banker’s Association; and two Small Business owners.

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Latest News