Ramroop’s New GPC gets more than half of Govt.’s $8B drug purchases

Dec 25, 2021 News

…33 other suppliers share remaining contracts

Kaieteur News – The New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation (New GPC) in 2020 was found to be the single largest supplier of drugs and medical supplies to the Government of Guyana, securing more than half of the more than $8B spent for that purpose during that year.

New GPC owner, Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop

This was documented by the Auditor General, Deodat Sharma, in his audit findings for the Ministry of Health for that year.
New GPC, owned by Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, topped the list of 33 suppliers to government, providing supplies for contracts higher than $6M and securing some $4.4B in contracts.
The other suppliers include Western Scientific Company, Caribbean Medical Supplies Inc., PAHO, Meditron Inc., GBTI-Water Street, Roche Diagnostic, Ansa McAl Trading Limited, Trans-Continental, Massy Gas Products Guyana Ltd, Linden Hospital Complex, GK Inc., DiaMed, Led Guyana, Medipharm Inc., K & P Project Management Company, Kings Pharmaceuticals & Supplies, Regium International Inc., Agatha General Consultant and Adv. Serv. Inc., Cepheid HBDS, Marva Prefero Import & Export, Khalama AT Chemicals Company Inc., Scientific Supplies Tech., Cunjahs Distribution Construction & Décor Services, Regal Stationery & Computer Centre, BPI Guyana Inc., Logistics Gyexpress Inc., Portal, GUYBIZ Establishment, Jamars Associates, Cares Worth Medical Centre & Pharmacy, El Dorado Trading and MEDB Inc.
According to the Auditor General, Western Scientific Company secured the second highest number of contracts for the period under review, valued at $1.8B.
Caribbean Medical Supplies Inc. and PAHO each received contracts to the tune of $383.2M and $378.3M respectively, while all other contracts were for sums below $200M.
The Auditor General in his report noted that the sum of $8.1B was allotted to the Ministry for Drugs and Medical Supplies, with a subsequent allocation of $52.959M, resulting in an increased revised allotment of $8.123 billion.
Additionally, it was noted by the Auditor General in his report that drugs and medical supplies valued $1.568 billion were paid for, but not received at the time of the audit.
Compounding the situation, the Auditor General in his report observed that only the sum of $551.819M was covered by bank guarantees and “as a result, should the suppliers default on the supply of goods amounting to the difference of $1.016 billion, the Ministry could encounter difficulties recovering this sum.”
Additionally, the receipt of drugs and medical supplies totalling $1.851 billion could not be verified, and 118 payment vouchers processed for this sum were not presented for audit as of September 2 this year.