APNU+AFC MP Ganesh Mahipaul has voiced concern over flaws in the current procurement system and called for immediate reforms.
In a statement yesterday, Mahipaul spoke of the need to amend Guyana’s procurement system to ensure fairness and competitive bidding and to stop “friends, families and favourites” from being preferred over others.
Mahipaul posited that the current system, governed by the Procurement Act of 2003, has demonstrated “significant flaws,” particularly in the roles of the Evaluation Committees and the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB).
As the MP sees it, NPTAB is composed solely of government appointees, creating potential conflicts of interest and undermining impartiality, and leading to concerns of favouritism and corruption, which results in the Evaluation Committees’ responsibilities not being met effectively. Further, when bid evaluations do not adhere strictly to the established criteria, it undermines the fairness of the process and has resulted in contracts being awarded to less qualified bidders and in some cases unqualified bidders.
In such instances, he noted, the normal government response is to justify current inefficiencies by referring to past practices. Although he agrees that understanding historical context is important, Mahipaul posited that it should not excuse ongoing problems simply because what is happening now is worse than what happened in the past.
The statement said that given the current situation, immediate and proactive solutions are needed to address challenges. The suggestion was made that at least three of the seven members of the NPTAB should be nominated by the Parliamentary Opposition and they should be selected from among individuals with proven integrity and expertise in business, law, finance, audit, and administration. This change, it contended, would promote impartiality and enhance public confidence in the procurement process.
The Evaluation Committees must adhere “strictly” to bid evaluation criteria and select the Lowest Evaluated/ Responsive Bidder based on submitted documentation. This in turn requires proper training and adherence to clear guidelines to ensure accuracy and fairness in the evaluation process. In addition, penalties must be enshrined in law for office holders who deliberately act to favour friends, families and favourites.
Mahipaul expressed the view that “immediate amendments to the Procurement Act are necessary to address these issues and align with best practices. This will provide a solid foundation for a more transparent and effective procurement system. I therefore call on the Government to move beyond justification and take decisive action to reform our procurement system. By implementing these recommended changes, we can ensure that contracts are awarded fairly and executed by competent contractors, benefiting all Guyanese people. The focus must be on creating a system that serves the needs of both present and future generations, rather than relying on outdated practices”.
