Latest update December 25th, 2024 1:10 AM
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Govt. takes further steps to improve procurement procedures
In an effort to improve the evaluation process in public procurement, the Government has taken the
Finance Minister, Winston Jordan
decision to ensure that all evaluators are paid so as to expand the available pool of these officials.
In addition to this, the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supplies (CIPS) has completed the first component of training in procurement concepts and methodologies, and the remaining components will be completed in the second half of the year.
This training comes in wake of the fact that Public Procurement Procedures is one of the areas that has been on the front burner for reform.
According to the Government, the creation of the Public Procurement Commission is a notable achievement in this regard, as it strives towards transparency and accountability in the public procurement process.
Perceptions of corruption and favouritism have for years, sullied the image of Guyana’s public procurement system.
However, the APNU+AFC Government and even top officials at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) have made it clear that while there remains room for improvement, they are very satisfied with the progress they have made in arming the system with effective anti-corruption mechanisms.
This was supported and reiterated by NPTAB Head, Berkley Wickham.
Wickham had informed this newspaper on some of the key initiatives and interventions made since he assumed office as Chairman of the NPTAB.
He said that every initiative or intervention undertaken thus far was aimed at changing the long held perception of a tainted public procurement process.
He said that the difficulty of this task was never underestimated, but its success is rooted in the need to achieve transparency, accountability, fairness, integrity and efficiency.
NPTAB Chairman,
Berkley Wickham
The NPTAB head said, “We are not there yet but significant advances have been made. Some of these are; increases in the Threshold limits for Regional, Ministerial/Agency Tender Boards; work in progress in developing debarment procedures; the Bid Protest Committee has been established and is functional; the Public Procurement Commission has been established; and we have been an active participant in the Task Force for the development of the Caricom Public Procurement Regime”.
Wickham said that NPTAB has also been working with the Ministry of Business to facilitate the participation of small businesses and women-owned businesses in the Public Procurement process.
Pursuant to Section 17 of the Procurement Act 2003, Wickham said that the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board has been organizing training in public procurement.
Furthermore, Wickham said that the existing legislation does not provide for e-procurement. He said that an upcoming legislation review will provide for this.
He promised too that a debarment procedure will be fashioned for implementation.
The NPTAB Head said, “There was further training in February in contract compliance and management. As you can see, we have been very busy this past year. In my opinion, we are poised to take procurement out of a long period of stagnation.”
Wickham said that moves are being taken to ensure that the Procurement system is elevated onto a pathway where electronic government procurement is the major tool to build a world class procurement process in Guyana.
Additionally, at a national consultation on Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) Public Procurement System requirements, Finance Minister Winston Jordan had outlined that a number of changes are in the pipeline.
The Finance Minister said that under the Public Procurement Modernization Project – for which funding has been provided by the Inter-American Development Bank under a Technical Cooperation Agreement called Public Procurement Modernization and Financial Management Strengthening in Guyana – Component One will provide support to improve efficiency and value for money in public procurement through strategic planning and introduction of e-government procurement.
Jordan said that the successor initiative by the CSME is Development and Implementation of the Infrastructure and Instruments for an Integrated CSME Procurement Regime.
He explained that the deliverables include the Procurement Bill and Regulations, Procurement Software and Hardware Installation, Development of Training modules and the ability to roll out these modules online.
He said that more will be said on these issues at a later time.
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