The company that wins the contract to supply computers under the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) programme will have to facilitate technical support, after sales service for the instruments and warranty enforcement when needed, according to the bid notice.
The advertisement inviting bids for the project was placed on government procurement website on Thursday and it leaves the door open for the government to fulfill its initial pledge to distribute laptops, since the Office of the President has advertised for the supply of either netbooks or laptops.
When the project was initially announced in July by President Bharrat Jagdeo, he had stated the government’s intention to distribute 90,000 computers to poor families. However, at his most recent press conference, Jagdeo disclosed that the administration will be distributing netbooks under the OLPF programme. The first 142 computers that were handed over at the project launch in January were netbooks that the government had received as gifts from Chinese company Huawei.
Questions were raised about the capacity of the netbooks to sufficiently achieve the objectives of the OLPF project but President Jagdeo said that the specifications for the instruments would meet the objectives. Other observ-ers have stated that since the government is distributing netbooks, calling the project One Laptop Per Family is, in fact, a misnomer. Questions have also been raised as to how after sales service for the instrument will be provided and funded.
According to the advertisement, the “bidding will be conducted through the Inter-national Competitive Bidding (ICB) procedures and is open to all bidders” within a list of eligible countries for “the supply of netbooks/laptops.” The document said too that all locally registered bidders are required to submit valid certificates of Compliances from National Insurance Scheme (NIS). International Bidding Companies will also have to provide such documents for their valid authorized representatives here. “Should an international bidding company not have representation in Guyana it will confirm in writing as part of its bid to provide copies of the NIS certificates of its local authorized representative once the representative has been established within 21 days of signing of contract,” the document said.
The bidders are also required to submit valid certificates of compliances from the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA). An international bidding company which does not have representation here will confirm in writing as part of its bid to provide copies of the GRA certificates of its local authorized representative once this has been established within 21 days of the signing of the contract.
The business registration for local and international bidding companies and for agents/representatives of international bidding companies registered in Guyana also need to be submitted. If an international bidder does not have local representation, it needs to commit in writing that copies of the business registration of its local authorized agent, once established, will be made within three weeks of the signing of the contract.
Additionally, the Manu-facturer’s Authorization for supply of items with contact information to validate authorization needs to be submitted.
Bidders have to also provide documentary evidence to demonstrate that the company and/or agent has been in business of supplying similar equipment and has an office in Guyana to facilitate technical support, after sales service and warranty enforcement when needed.
Meanwhile, when it comes to awarding the contract, the document says that “The Office of the President- One Laptop Per Family Project is not bound to accept any or the lowest bid and reserves the right to reject any and all bids.”
According to the advertisement, the deadline for the submission of tenders is on Tuesday, March 29. All tenders have to be submitted to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board.
