Dear Editor,
The new eID Cards for USD $34 Million, Industry back-channel quote for USD $17 Million is awfully Expensive. What about Competitive Bids? The reliable back channel in the industry said the contract should be around USD $17 Million NOT $34 Million. Go-betweens? Excess Profits? 3 Fs, Friends, Favourites and Families? Why the silence from the Public Procurement Commission? Is this a violation of the Procurement Law? With all due respect for democracy in practice with accountability, transparency, and fairness, President Ali’s administration, should cancel this contract and go through the established procurement regulations.
The French company Thales provided the technology software and chips (for card) and printed blank polycarbonate cards for the UAE, and through a UAE company (so called local content). Guyana should have requested BIDS/ QUOTES from General Dynamics, Thales or IDEMIA. (IDEMIA is a multinational technology company headquartered in Courbevoie, France. It provides identity-related security services and sells facial recognition and other biometric identification products and software to private companies and governments.)
My back channel in the industry QUOTE is for USD $12- $17 million for 1 million polycarbonate chip cards with Kinnegram guilloche and micro-text print hologram; 10-15 locations to enroll and generate cards;1 large central location in Georgetown to enroll and generate cards (say 10 clerk stations); Digital signature pads x 30.10-15 IXLA or Matica brand single station laser printers and chip encoders; 1-2 large units IXLA or matica brand central station bulk laser/chip encoder printers; 30 document scanners; 30 cameras; PC and monitors x 30; Card testing units x 30; Servers and software; Database software (oracle IBM Microsoft etc.); Card readers x 500; System software to (biometric) generate ICAO (Inter-national Civil Aviation Organization) feature ID cards; setup and training; monthly fees for software maintenance and annual fees for 3rd party software licenses; partner General Dynamics Information Tech-nology; The quote is for new cards with ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) features; and Thales and IDEMIA are 2 alternate contractors. Onward & Upward, towards One People, One Nation, One Destiny.
Sincerely,
Dr. Shamir Ally
Former Ambassador to Kuwait
Former FIRST Alternate Governor,
Islamic Development Bank