The netbooks that have so far been procured for the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) initiative have not gone through the National Procure-ment and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), reliable sources have said.
Stabroek News has confirmed that in November, 150 Lenovo instruments had been procured for the pilots through locally authorized Lenovo dealers Starr Computers and Vishnu Panday and Associates Inc. It was disclosed that warranty, service and support for the instruments would be provided by local companies.
About 100 of these were ceremonially handed over to families by President Bharrat Jagdeo when the initiative was launched a few weeks ago at the International Conference Centre. Some of the groups identified have not received the computers as yet.
However, checks of the government procurement website http://eprocure.gov.gy have revealed no advertisements calling for tenders to be submitted for the project. Subsequent checks with sources at the NPTAB indicated that the board never processed any tenders for the purchase of computers for the OLPF initiative.
Last Wednesday, Minister within the Ministry of Finance Jennifer Webster told the National Assembly that laptops for the projects were “being procured in accordance with applicable procedures and rules.” According to her, the computers being procured under the OLPF programme are being purchased at a unit cost of US$295 ($60,770) per instrument and not $295,000 as she originally stated.
Webster, told the House last Tuesday during the consideration of the 2011 budget estimates, that the $1.8 billion budgeted will meet the cost of the 27,000 Lenovo laptops to be procured this year. Responding to a question from AFC MP Sheila Holder, Webster said the laptops are being procured through a competitive tender process and some of the funding for the project is being provided by China.
However, PNCR-1G MP Deborah Backer said Webster had given conflicting answers pointing out that the minister had cited a cost but then later said that there was a competitive process.
“How could you, Madam Minister, speak about a competitive bidding process when you already have given us the brand and the cost? Is it that it is completed or is it ongoing… Is the process completed or is it continuing?” Backer asked.
In reply, Webster said: “The budget is an estimated cost. The process is ongoing because it’s over a period of three to four years.”
At the launch of the project, President Bharrat Jagdeo said the government had invested some US$9 million this year to kick-start the project and added that his administration is lobbying for a grant from the Chinese government to acquire additional computers.
A source told Stabroek News that the Chinese government has agreed to support the project on the basis that the computers are bought from Chinese companies. The source said the government is not too happy with this arrangement. The two parties, this newspaper was told are still trying to reach an agreement.
Under the OLPF programme, the government has pledged to give 90,000 computers to the least fortunate families in the country.
Members of the parliamentary opposition have called for the government to come clean on the contract. GAP/ROAR MP Everall Franklin has urged that the entire OLPF project be reviewed.
