When bids for the supply and delivery of anti-malaria drugs for the Ministry of Health were unsealed yesterday, there was a difference of over $228M between the only two bidders.
International Pharmaceutical Agency (IPA) bid $32,730,400 for the project, while the New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation (New GPC) submitted a bid of $261,568,442.
After the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) unsealed the bids, Stabroek News contacted New GPC Chief Executive Officer Dr. Ranjisinghi Ramroop for an explanation about the difference in the New GPC’s bid price.
Ramroop first said that the person responsible for preparation of tender documents was not available and that Stabroek News should call today during working hours. A few minutes later, Ramroop called the newspaper and declined to respond to the question and instead levelled accusations against the reporter in a hostile manner.
He accused the Stabroek News reporter and by extension the newspaper of “teaming up” against him and of working for IPA and “looking for a scandal story.”
Stabroek News Editor-in-Chief, Anand Persaud, said that Dr Ramroop’s allegations were outrageous and a clear attempt to evade answering important questions about procurement. Persaud said that grave misgivings continue to swirl around the procurement practices of the government – particularly in relation to drug purchases – and that New GPC has further contributed to this by declining to answer questions.
Government contracts awarded to the New GPC have raised questions over the years, prompting the administration to defend the award of tenders for supply of some drugs.
Earlier in the year, New GPC faced questions over pricing disparities of drugs supplied by the company as against those that other local companies sell, which was highlighted by the Kaieteur News.
Ramroop had then said that a number of factors could be responsible for the situation and that some drugs would be sold at more expensive prices, depending on if they were generic brands or original. He added that contrary to what many believe—that the Ministry of Health only purchases generic drugs—there were some such as anaesthetics that require original brands. “You cannot blame the New GPC for pricing. We price our drugs. It is up to the buyers to buy it or not,” he said then.
Even before then, concerns were triggered by a contact awarded to the company for the supply of drugs and medical supplies to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) to the tune of $1.3B, for which there was no public tender process. In response, New GPC denied claims that it was being given preferential treatment by the government in the award of large contracts for the supply of drugs and medical supplies, while saying that its selection is based on its meeting pre-qualification standards two years ago.
