Dear Editor,
The articles in the various media about the Auditor General’s findings on the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) evaluators is extremely pertinent. In my opinion, the Auditor General is right to flag them for deficiencies. I sometimes wonder what their purpose is. I heard it said by them and other senior functionaries that the policy is the lowest tender. They have no other consideration it appears. Yet, in a recent case involving myself the tender was awarded not to the lowest, but to the highest bidder. There were other lower tenders, and some were so ridiculously low, that they could only survive if involved in some other activity. The bid of the company which was awarded the contract was high, as much as $15,000,000.00 more than ours. Our tender was $40,000,000.00. This company’s bid was $55,000.000.00.
At another institution, a large one, the contract was awarded to the lowest bidder. If the Board or the ministry did its maths, it would be noted that they could not operate unless the aim was to eventually create a crisis.
In speaking to a Permanent Secretary for guidance, I was told that he had no authority, and on one occasion when he did the maths pertaining to zinc sheets and advised the Tender Board that it could not work, the Board said their purpose was lowest tender; that was all they were concerned about. I tried to call the NPTAB but the Chairman was very busy, as expected.
Then it happened again at another government entity, where the bid tendered by another security agency was so low that it would be impossible to operate; we did the maths, and we know. Is the NPTAB bereft of mathematical experts to see that it is a sham? We handed over service to the new entity and were surprised again; we never had a complaint or a loss, and tendered middle of the way, so we do not have to turn to deceit via NIS thefts or VAT or anything to survive, but here again the lowest tender was chosen. We always tender to keep our heads above water, so we may never be tempted to steal taxes or NIS.
I think the Ministry of the Presidency needs to launch an investigation into the security services operating in Guyana, and their heads. If the tender board is to operate properly, it cannot be merely to award contracts to the lowest bidders, or we will see the collapse of buildings, poor quality services, roads collapsing, and bridges and dams drifting apart.
So kudos to this great institution, the Auditor General’s Office, for flagging and highlighting this to the Guyanese nation and to this new government. This is not the first time I have raised these issues. No one studies, no one listens. When there is theft of VAT and NIS and other taxes, the result is social chaos, and pressuring the honest to make up for the shortfall.
Some say I should resort to the courts; go the President they say. No, I cannot disturb that gentleman with this; it is unfair, and he has ministers who need to do their work. Maybe the Auditor General would be mandated by the government to investigate the recent awards of contracts in security, and even others to see if it is possible that they can survive or if they have some sinister support system, or systems to destroy the tax collection base of the government, thereby affecting the revenue of Guyana.
Yours faithfully,
Roshan Khan
RK’s Group Guyana
