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Defaulting suppliers/contractors cause undue embarrassment – GPHC CEO
– Official says not opposed to debarment regulations
Failure to deliver medical supplies in a timely manner could see contractors being debarred in the not so distant future.
A move in this direction is certainly being supported by the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation [GPHC], which has time and again been subjected to the belated delivery of supplies from contractors.
Such a dilemma was recently amplified in the most recent Auditor General Report, which was tabled in the National Assembly.
But according to the GPHC’s Chief Executive Officer [CEO], Brigadier George Lewis, he anticipates that this protracted predicament will become a thing of the past given the stance that the hospital is gearing to embrace. Lewis was at the time making reference to efforts currently being made by the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) to draft regulations for the debarment of errand suppliers.
GPHC CEO, Brigadier George Lewis
“Only one week or so ago, there was a forum where those draft regulations were examined,” said Lewis, as he shared his intent to have the hospital fully embrace a move that will see suppliers being sanctioned for failing to meet their contractual obligations.
Last week, the PPC commenced a series of consultations to familiarise public authorities on proposed regulations, which could make it easier to debar contractors who do substandard work. These sessions were aimed at introducing stakeholders to the Draft Debarment and Suspension Regulations, and to obtain feedback on areas important to the effective functioning of the public procurement system, in keeping with the Public Procurement Act of 2003.
“Regulations like these are important, because from time to time, there are errant suppliers and contractors who sign contracts with government and procuring agencies to deliver items but fail to deliver them on time, thus causing undue embarrassment, and agencies are not able to perform their roles in a timely manner as result,” said the GPHC CEO.
In the 2017 Auditor General Report, it was revealed that the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board [NPTAB] had given approval for three contracts to cater to the procurement of critical equipment for the public hospital.
However, at the time of reporting, the items valued at close to 100 million were yet to be received by the hospital. Among the items that were supplied to the hospital based on the reporting of the Auditor General were a $10 million truck and lift and other critical equipment valued at $22 million. The equipment included a patient view station valued at $9.3 million, a $1000 KVA transformer, a 7.5 ton ducted package air conditioner unit worth $2 million and digital baby scales.
In response to the Auditor General, Head of the Ministry of Public Health’s Budget Agency not only agreed with the findings, but also noted that the GPHC was granted several multi-year approvals to effectively fulfil the contractual obligations.
The Head of the Budget Agency also revealed that contact was made with the suppliers to deliver the vehicle and equipment as soon as possible. The Auditor General nevertheless urged that the Head of the Budget Agency take action in order to have the items delivered to the GPHC as per the contract stipulations.
However, while this was indeed the state of affairs at the time of the Auditor General’s Report, CEO Lewis yesterday made it clear that the circumstances had changed by the time the content of the Auditor General Report was tabled in the National Assembly.
He noted that, “When the AG did his audit, there was a number of equipment that the suppliers had not delivered, [but] since then all equipment, less one piece of equipment, the transformer, has not been delivered.”
In hopes of ensuring that the outstanding item is delivered shortly to the hospital, Lewis said, “We are working with the supplier, but at the same time, we are examining our options with him [the supplier] because he has failed to meet his contractual obligations.”
It is for this very reason, Lewis said, that the GPHC will be looking to support the efforts of the Public Procurement Commission in terms of drafting regulations for the debarment of contractors who continually fail to meet their contractual obligations.
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