In Guyana, public procurement accounts for approximately $150 billion or 70 per cent of the national budget. Given the enormity of this expenditure, there must be detailed rules and procedures to ensure the highest degree of transparency in the award of contracts; rigid monitoring of the supply of goods and services and execution of the works; and effective ex post evaluation to ensure that the State receives the best value for money. If an effective system is not in place, taxpayers, contractors and suppliers, indeed the general citizenry, will lose faith in the system.
In such a circumstance, allegations of corrupt behaviour involving public officials are likely to surface although there may not be any corruption involved. Given the opaque nature of corruption, perceptions become the yardstick for assessing levels of corruption. Both the Inter-American Convention against Corruption (IACAC) and the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) emphasise the importance of having in place effective systems for public procurement. IACAC advocates systems that “assure openness, equity and efficiency” while UNCAC refers to the establishment of systems