The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government steadily finds itself needing to defend its record. This, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said, is because the local opposition parties are in the habit of spreading “lies” to bilateral partners and potential investors.
At his most recent press conference, Jagdeo claimed that for the past few years, the local opposition parties have been meeting US government officials and feeding them “a bunch of lies.” He said that almost every mission that comes to Guyana from the US has been told that the PPP is racist, corrupt and incompetent. They have also been told that the PPP squanders oil money and the PPP does not like the US but is in bed with China. “That is their standard narrative, every mission that comes to Guyana, I can predict what they will say to them,” said Jagdeo.
The Guyanese leader asserted that the facts are “very different and we have also been meeting with those officials to set the record straight.”
He said as well that US, and other foreign officials are very much aware of the transgressions committed by the previous APNU+AFC government, especially on procurement.
He asserted that, on the other hand, they are also aware of the “systemic improvements that we have made to enhance procurement in Guyana.”
Jagdeo said that potential investors, international organizations and bilateral partners appreciate knowing that the system is a fair one, “especially for their investors.”
“A system can only operate if it is transparent…If you look at the 5 years under APNU+AFC, you will see not a single bit of information on the NPTAB (National Procurement and Tender Administration Board) website as is required by the law, the Procurement Act of Guyana.”
The Vice President pointed out that the Act stipulates that within a specified time period after the award of contract, the administration has to upload the particulars of the contract which include the procurement method (sole sourcing, open competitive tender of restrictive tender), name of contract and cost attached.
Jagdeo boasted that since 2021, every contract is uploaded with the required information. He said, “These are the sorts of things we use when they go with their shrill voices, lying through their teeth. We have to use real evidence.”
