| – IDB-funded programme to be implemented as part of reform process By Kiana Wilburg A rigourous review of government’s current process of tendering and procurement,Cheap Jerseys NFL China, has led Finance Minister Winston Jordan to the firm conclusion that the system is “broken” and as a result, fostered an environment of unfairness andFinance Minister, Winston Jordaninequality,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, among other ills.He expressed this sentiment during the presentation of his 2015 Budget on Monday. The Finance Minister asserted that the present system needs to be fixed quickly.As an immediate step,Wholesale MLB Jerseys, he informed members of the National Assembly that Government has changed the composition of the Tender Board. He said that it has also moved to establish the long-awaited Public Procurement Commission (PPC), the legislated oversight body of the tendering process in Guyana.Significantly too, Jordan said that with financial support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Government will implement a project to strengthen and modernize public procurement.Through this project, the Finance Minister said that government will aim to improve the efficiency and value for money in public procurement through strategic planning and the introduction of electronic Government Procurement (e-GP).He explained that the e-GP will allow all public authorities to manage their procurement process and Government purchases online; from advertising of bids, to receiving offers, to publication of contract awards and post-award contract management.Jordan asserted that other activities contemplated are: revision of the Procurement Act and its Regulations; establishment of a complaints mechanism and debarment procedures that take account of international best practices; and training in modern procurement operations and tools.The Finance Minister had told Kaieteur News that these reforms to the Tender Board would be done to make the entity more responsive while returning accountability and transparency to it.The award of contracts in Guyana by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) has always been a matter of contention in several quarters. There have been accusations of favouritism along with other complaints of anti-competitive practices.To fix this,Cheap Jerseys Outlet, the APNU+AFC Government has been advocating for the establishment of the PPC for some time.The Public Accounts Committee (PAC),Cheap Authentic Jerseys, which according to procedure, is chaired by a member of the opposition, has to nominate the five members of the Procurement Commission. The National Assembly by two-thirds majority has to ratify their appointments. The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is however,China Jerseys Cheap, yet to take its seats in the House. As a result, the establishment of the Procurement Commission is stalled.Former Auditor General, Anand Goolsarran, who had spoken extensively on the matter, recently said that, “With the political opposition not taking up their seats in the Assembly, it will take quite a while for the Public Accounts Committee to be constituted. In addition, the requirement of two-thirds majority is likely to pose a huge challenge in terms of agreement on the names of the five candidates. This is likely to further delay the activation of the Commission.”He had suggested that the next best alternative, therefore, is for the NPTAB to be reformed in such a manner that the public will place confidence in its work.The Chartered Accountant said that one consideration is for the NPTAB to be given greater autonomy and flexibility, free of ministerial involvement and influence, while at the same time, ensuring that the provisions of the Procurement Act are followed.He had said that indeed, the Act provides for the NPTAB to execute the functions of the Procurement Commission until such time that the Commission is established. He had said that the reforming of the NPTAB could therefore be such that, in addition to its own functions, its operations could mirror those of the Commission.“Of course, this is a temporary measure until the Commission is established,” he added.Goolsarran had also contended that the weak systems of the NPTAB need to be addressed by the new administration, as they cost the country approximately $28B annually.The former Auditor General then pointed to credible allegations of corrupt behaviour in public procurement. These included sole sourcing of drug contracts to the New GPC, contract splitting, inflated engineer’s estimates, evaluation bias on behalf of favoured contractors, the use of inexperienced contractors, the absence of competitive bidding in some cases and overpayment to contractors.Goolsarran had said that at least some $28 billion, or US$140M, is lost annually by looking at those areas. His estimation was garnered from an overview of the Auditor General’s reports on the country’s accounts over the past few years.He had also highlighted some of the glaring shortcomings of the NPTAB, among them the absence of District Tender Boards for Neighbourhood Democratic Councils; the failure to publish in NPTAB’s website; the award of all contracts between $200,000 and $15 million; the failure of members of the various tender boards to file financial returns with the Integrity Commission; the non-establishment of a formal Bid Protest Committee and the failure to exercise due diligence in ensuring that evaluators had the requisite expertise.Goolsarran had said, too, that there are certain parts of the Procurement Act which have not been adhered to since the Act came into effect on 1 January 2004. These include ensuring the criteria used for selection are such that they do not discriminate against particular contractors and suppliers and the award of contracts based on the lowest evaluated bid as opposed to the lowest bid.Failing to look at these, he opined, have also proven to be very costly to the country. |
