Latest update November 13th, 2024 1:00 AM
New GPC awarded 40 contracts worth over $7B for supply of pharmaceuticals
…PNCR calls for forensic audit of NPTAB
Kaieteur News – New GPC Inc, which was purchased from the Government of Guyana (GoG) by local businessman Dr Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop’s Queens Atlantic Investment Inc (QAII), was last month awarded 40 contracts totaling over $7 billion for the supply and delivery of pharmaceuticals.
Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Ganesh Mahipaul
Owner of new GPC, local businessman Dr Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop
The procuring entity is the Ministry of Health (MOH), and the contracts were awarded by the National Procurement and Tendering Administration Board (NPTAB) Office.
According to information from NPTAB’s website the total for the 40 contracts is $7,018,528,39. The highest bid was a substantial $657,842,387, while the lowest bid recorded around $2 million.
New GPC won the contracts to supply the ministry with drugs like bupivacaine and lidocaine for anaesthesia, paracetamol and ibuprofen for pain relief, and allopurinol for gout. The list also includes medications such as amoxicillin and ciprofloxacin for infections, metformin for diabetes management, and atorvastatin for cardiovascular health. GPC also has to supply muscle relaxants like anticonvulsants and carbamazepine; and various allergy medications like diphenhydramine and hydrocortisone.
Specifically, a total of 22 bids exceeded $100 million. The bids included amounts such as $416,811,546, $290,668,371, $400,727,864, $333,133,677, $657,842,387, $305,681,630, $396,889,730, $404,598,640, $597,075,626, and $351,868,980.
The Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation (GPC) was privatized by the Government in 1999 and renamed New GPC.
On Friday, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) called for a forensic audit of NPTAB in light of the contracts being awarded to the new GPC.
“This is a brazen act of favoritism and corruption. The PNCR/APNU has verified that New GPC Inc. was not the lowest, most responsive bidder in all 40 lots,” Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Ganesh Mahipaul said at the party’s press conference.
He alleged the awards to the new GPC are deeply rooted in corruption at NPTAB.
Mahipaul added, “This is organized crime masquerading as governance. The rot runs deep, with members of the evaluation committee and NPTAB allegedly getting their cut… This scandal is just a glimpse into the vast web of corruption strangling development in Guyana and involving the NPTAB and Regional Boards.”
To this end, Mahipaul called for an immediate forensic investigation into the dealings of NPTAB.
A screenshot of the awarded sums posted on NPTAB’s website
Opposition MP Mahipaul proposed a series of measures to combat corruption, including the establishment of an independent international investigative commission to conduct a forensic audit of NPTAB and related entities, free from government influence. He called for oversight from international anti-corruption agencies like Transparency International and the United Nations (UN) to ensure the investigation’s integrity.
Additionally, Mahipaul advocated for immediate reforms to procurement laws to enhance transparency in the bidding process, require public disclosure of contract awards, and mandate audits for significant public tenders. He also stressed the need for a robust legal framework to protect whistleblowers from retaliation and insisted that the results of any investigation be made public, with individuals found guilty of corrupt practices prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, including high-ranking officials.
- contracts, Dr. Ranjisinghi Bobby Ramroop, National Procurement and Tendering Administration Board (NPTAB) Office, NEW GPC Inc., pharmaceuticals
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