Public/Private partnership policy framework drafted, up for review

Public/Private partnership policy framework drafted, up for review – Jordan

Jul 04, 2017 News

On the heels of utterances by the Business Minister Dominic Gaskin, over the absence of a

Business Minister, Dominic Gaskin

framework to ensure value for money and to prevent any form of abuse from Public/Private Partnerships (P3), the administration is acting.
At least this seems to be the impression after an announcement was made by the Finance Minister Winston Jordan, revealing that a P3 policy framework has been drafted.
Jordan made this disclosure during an engagement with several key stakeholders of the Private Sector last week.
The Minister revealed, also, that a technical team has been assigned to review the draft framework.
“The draft framework benefitted tremendously from the views of the private sector. It will be recalled that the Ministry of Finance recently chaired a dialogue with the private sector, during which your input was sought for a P3 model with various modalities of delivery. Once finalized, this policy framework will guide the upcoming future P3 engagements,” Jordan said.
He hinted that amongst these engagements envisaged, is the construction of a New Demerara Harbour Bridge, tenders for which will be advertised by the third quarter of this year.
Kaieteur News understands that other projects including the Linden/Lethem Road, will also likely be executed by means of P3.
“The government will do the stretch of the road, from Linden to Mabura Hill as well as the crossing at

Finance Minister, Winston Jordan

Kurupukari. The remaining stretch, from Mabura Hill to Takutu Bridge, will be divided into two lots and will be put out to tender by end of this year.”
Two months ago, Minister Gaskin said that while Government and investors stand to benefit from P3, there is no framework in place to ensure value for money and prevent any form of abuse.
“We don’t have a framework in place for public-private partnerships in Guyana, and a lot of what is coming our way are unsolicited proposals that are only viable with the input of the government.
In many cases, Gaskin said, what is being proposed would violate the nation’s procurement laws. The Business Minister had stressed that it is difficult and unwise to deal with such proposals outside of a framework, or without even some basic guidelines. He said that until public-private partnership guidelines are put in place, the Government should not be encouraging unsolicited proposals.
He had stressed the importance of having a framework in place.
“It is important that we do this because the Government of Guyana will be looking for Public-Private Partnerships for certain projects. A lot of our infrastructure development over the next decade or more will need to be implemented through public-private partnerships.”

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