Small contractors will still have to compete with big companies for all construction projects as this sector is not covered by recently-passed legislation for small business to get 20 per cent of all government contracts.
“You may recall some time ago the PPC [Public Procurement Commission] had advised that the ‘set asides’ programme for small businesses could not be implemented unless there was an amendment to the Procurement Act. This has now been done, but the Small Business Act also needs to be amended to include procurement of ‘construction works’. Unless this is done, they are limited only to participating in procurement opportunities to supply goods and services to government but not ‘construction works’,” PPC Chairperson Carol Corbin told the Sunday Stabroek.
Even as she hailed the recent amendments to the Public Procurement Act of 2003 that sets aside 20 per cent of all government contracts for small business, Corbin said that similar amendments in relation to construction must be made in the Small Business Act 2004.