While garbage continues to build up at the Haags Bosch Landfill, the Bid Protest Committee (BPC) is still deliberating on the objection to an award of $221M for the maintenance of the East Bank Demerara facility.
On Wednesday, Chairman of the Committee JoAnn Bond told Stabroek News that she could not comment on the status of the deliberations and said that this newspaper would have to wait for official word, though she did not say from whom.
“Well, I have no update to give. I’m sorry,” Bond said.
“I think you will probably have to wait on an official statement because I won’t be able to make any comment at this time…Yes, even as the Chairman.”
Bond now heads the BPC. Her appointment came after the government had earlier announced the appointment of Renee McDonald of the Ministry of Legal Affairs as the Chairperson of the BPC. Mc Donald no longer holds the post.
The three-member committee was established in July and comprised McDonald as the Chair-man and former GTT General Manager Archibald Clifton and Insurance Broker Ewart Adams as the other two members.
The BPC received its first protest from the Cevons Waste Management Group on the grounds that the $221M contract for the management and maintenance of the Haags Bosch landfill had been improperly awarded to Puran Brothers Disposal Inc. in July of this year.
Both the contract awardee, Kaleshwar Puran of Puran’s Disposal Inc. and bidder Ivor Allen of the Cevon’s Waste Disposal conglomerate, on Wednesday also lamented the fact that today will mark two months since the controversy erupted over the contract, and there is still no word from the authorities.
“Well, garbage is piling up and still no word,” Puran said, as he explained that without a substantive contract the company cannot commence management of the landfill.
Allen stated, “I have heard nothing at all since the payment was made. We have heard nothing from the committee and to the best of my understanding they have not met as yet.”
According to the Procurement Act, the BPC, after receipt of the protest, shall issue a written decision within 15 business days of the conclusion of a review, stating the reasons for the decision and the remedies granted, if any. Its decision shall be final.
And while the law does not give a timeframe for deliberations on a protest it states too it should be addressed by the Committee swiftly.
