A revised standard bidding document will soon be launched to ensure greater transparency and wider participation in the bidding process for government contracts.
This was announced by Minister in the Ministry of Finance Juan Edghill, who said the Revised Standard Bidding Documents were recently given the green-light by Cabinet.
“It is user-friendly and would allow for all and sundry to participate in the bidding process,” he told a press briefing at his Main Street office yesterday, where he announced the opening of a two-day conference on procurement that will begin on Thursday.
He said the date that the new documents would take effect would be announced at the end of the conference, which is to be held at the Guyana International Conference Centre, at Liliendaal.
The first day would see at participation by at least 200 heads of budget agencies, permanent secretaries, members of works committees, heads of regional tender boards and tender evaluators. Edghill added that contractors and others would be allowed to raise concerns on the second day, when international and local experts will make presentations.
He said one objective of the conference is to create an opportunity for public awareness about the procurement process and improve bidder’s confidence. “We do not want one set of people must get the work, we believe that everyone must get the work… it allows for the involvement of all,” he said. He added that there is the misconception that contactors feel if they bid they will not be awarded the contacts, as they are given to only a select few. “… We want to strengthen the evaluation system to ensure that there is fairness, to ensure there is transparency, value for money, economy,” he said.
Questioned about the rationale in having the documents launched while there is no Public Procurement Commission (PPC), Edghill said, “I don’t think it takes away anything from the commission. It’s not something that would in any way compromise the functioning of the PPC when it comes into place.”
The E-Procure website, responsible for publishing government ads, came in for criticism as the minister was asked about its poor performance. He stated that the website management was done by the Government Information Agency (GINA) and while he knows that it has some problems it is a management issue and GINA is given the responsibility to have it always maintained.
