UK Govt. vows to keep watch on Guyana Procurement System

Feb 11, 2022 News

…as British firms signal business partnerships

President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Timothy Tucker shows off the signed MoU with the Managing Director of the Caribbean Council, Chris Bennett as the British High Commissioner watches on

Kaieteur News – In recent days, Guyana’s procurement system has been questioned and in fact placed under the microscope and the British High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller has vowed to ensure that she keeps watch on this particular sector, even as companies from her home country are seeking to build partnerships with the government and private sector entities.
The High Commissioner made the statement during a news conference on Wednesday at the Marriott Hotel, where several UK firms, participating in a British Trade Mission to Guyana gathered to share their interests in the local market. She said she has discussed the subject of Guyana’s procurement system with the Minister of Finance already, even as she cited one example where she believed the process to be flawed.
“For example the road from Linden to Mabura Hill, I think it’s going through a very long procurement process and they’ve come out with a tender that’s just been announced recently. The scrutiny that went through the whole process I was impressed by the amount of work that was done to get them to that stage so it’s something I will keep an eye on. I think it’s an important issue that you’ve raised and it will be something I will keep raising with the government,” the High Commissioner explained.
She added that Guyana, with its budding oil and gas sector, is undergoing tremendous growth and transparency remains a critical component on the road to development, hence attention will be focused on the procurement system here.
Weighing in on this particular matter, the President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Timothy Tucker, assured the British business community that mechanisms are in place for companies vying for projects to seek redress if owners feel that their bids were not fairly evaluated.
In fact, he said that businesses have approached the GCCI in the past which has intervened by writing to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) or writing the Minister of Finance to give reviews on the evaluation.
Before concluding the press engagement, the GCCI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Caribbean Council, an organization which comprises of London-based firms, seeking to build two way trade and investment between international companies, the Caribbean and Central American partners.
The Council has been on a British Business Mission to Guyana between February 7 and 10. Already, the business executives which have collectively brought a number of different products and services to introduce to the Guyana market had the opportunity to meet with respective ministers of the government and associated private sector agencies.
For example, Mr. Hugo Chisenhale-Marsh of Grove, an information technology company, has met with key stakeholders in Guyana to discuss boosting their systems against cyber security threats. Another company represented during the Mission was One True Maverick (OTM) Vodka, a distiller in London that is exploring the exportation of his product to Guyana. Concrete Canvas Limited was yet another firm which has engaged multiple players here to market their product; a flexible fabric that hardens on hydration to form a thin, durable, water-proof and fire resistant concrete layer. Another notable participator in the British Business Mission was Signature Litigation which specializes in legal services.