General Secretary (GS) of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo issued a stern warning on Thursday to public officers who are found guilty of violating procurement laws.
Dr Jagdeo said the PPP-administration is undertaking a thorough review of the procurement system across all levels of government. This announcement comes in response to ongoing concerns and allegations of corruption within government procurement operations.
He made this announcement during his weekly press conference held at Freedom House on Robb Street, Georgetown.
“Let me put on notice all of those people who are responsible for procurement in public corporations, statutory bodies, the Ministries, Regions…everywhere…all the way up to the National Tender Board. We are examining the procurement procedures for compliance with the laws,” he noted.
“If we find that those officers are skirting the provisions of the procurement law, then there shall be consequences for them. Too often we hear complaints that in some parts of the country, somebody is doing something wrong,” he emphasized.
The General Secretary also highlighted issues regarding payment delays for completed work. He criticised some accounting officers for unnecessary delays in processing payments, forcing contractors to make repeated visits for their due compensation.
“Let me put on notice those people too,” he warned, adding that the government would conduct sting operations to catch offenders. “If you are engaged in these processes and you get caught, don’t come and complain about it after…if you get caught you will face the consequences,” he said.
Notably, Dr Jagdeo reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthening systems to enhance transparency and accountability.
Last month, the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) flagged several issues regarding the award of a multimillion-dollar contract to a new company owned by a social media personality.
The project costing $865 million was awarded in August 2023, to the Tepui Group, whose principal is Mikhail Rodrigues, popularly known as the Guyanese Critic. In response, Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh welcomed the PPC’s report and said that the findings are a testament to the government’s efforts at procurement transparency and accountability. (information taken from DPI)
