The Public Procurement Commission has said that it initiated getting support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) as it is always looking for ways to strengthen the process here but that a dollar figure support pledge has not yet been established.
“The PPC recognizes that there is always room for improvement in the face of the ever-evolving demands of the sector and having regard to technological advancements like e-procurement, and the necessity for refining existing legislative frameworks,” the PPC said following questions from the Stabroek News after a release on the meeting with the IDB last month.
“Acknowledging that systems are by their nature inherently imperfect and subjected to improvement, the PPC is committed to continuous improvement of its operations which is mandated by the Constitution,” it added.
At a time where there was searing criticism of its conduct, the PPC last month sent out a release of its meeting with representatives from the IDB on strengthening procurement processes in Guyana.
During that meeting, the PPC stated that several key matters were addressed, including assistance from the IDB, which pledged its support in guiding the PPC in international best practices in developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for monitoring the procurement process, execution of contracts oversight, and standard bidding documents. This includes international best practices in the evaluation process, evaluation guide and standard evaluation report format. The IDB also committed to collaborating with the PPC in training evaluators in international best practices for the evaluation process, the commission said. This builds on previous training exercises of the PPC supported by the IDB.
The evaluators in the procurement system come under the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) of the Ministry of Finance. They have been criticized for making awards that do not comport with the guidelines that accompany tenders.
Asked who initiated the meeting on the strengthening process, the PPC said that it did but that the meeting was not narrowly focused on strengthening procurement processes. “Reference is made to the commission’s press release dated May 9, 2024, in which it stated that the meeting generally was aimed at enhancing the execution of the commission’s functions, especially in the areas listed therein of training and assistance in international best practices in establishing certain SOPs. The latter is of particular necessity in the absence of enabling legislation providing therefor,” the PPC said. It pointed out that the meeting followed “previous engagements with the IDB, which were organized by the PPC. The PPC had noted that in the past, the IDB has engaged it on various initiatives, and other areas of support, including training for contractors and suppliers in IDB-funded projects.
The PPC has been flayed over its failure to recommend the termination of a huge pump station contract to the unqualified company, Tepui Inc.
The evaluators of the NPTAB recommended the award of the contract even though Tepui failed to meet several key requirements.
The IDB is financing projects here that must go through the procurement system.
While the IDB pledged to support the work of the PPC, the body explained, “No, a specific dollar figure has not been pledged by the IDB for support mechanisms.”
Asked when some of the planned collaboration, such as training for evaluators and the developing of the SOPs for monitoring the procurement process will begin, the PPC said that “discussions are still in the early stages”.
However, it was quick to point out that the media will be updated as more information becomes available.
