-as House passes amended legislation
THE NATIONAL Assembly yesterday passed the Procurement (Amendment) Bill which allows for an added dimension in the advertising of government tenders on the Web as part of the Administration’s move to modernize the services it offers. But the passage of the Bill, though having the blessing of all sides of the National Assembly, was not without some measure of debate, the majority of which was centred on the need to set up a Public Procurement Commission, as is constitutionally required.
Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, who piloted the Bill, said the purpose of having such a piece of legislation in place was so as to allow for the publication of the government’s procurement of goods and services on a website of free access.
Simple though it is, he said the legislation represents an important yet modest step at bringing modernity to procurement practices, with the ultimate goal of utilizing the services of the Internet as a vehicle through which Government procurement opportunities can be disseminated.
He said it is the government’s intention to launch “within a week or two” the website at reference as a first-step towards e-procurement.
Minister said that if one were to have access to this website, one would be able to search it and find a listing and details of opportunities in one’s area of interest. He said that the provision is not one of great novelty, since many of Guyana’s development partners, like the World Bank, the Caribbean Development Bank and such other lending institutions already utilize websites where procurement notices can be found.
Taking his cue from hecklers from the Opposition benches, the Minister said that though the appointment of the Public Procurement Commission is something that the administration would like to see done, the fact that it has not yet happened has in no way deterred the government from ensuring that stringent procurement measures are in place.
He reminded the members of the House that the opening of tenders at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board is done in an open and transparent manner, and that members of the public can walk off the streets and observe the proceedings.
Speaking on behalf of the PNCR-1G, shadow finance minister, Winston Murray said that key to transparency and accountability in the procurement administration is the setting up of the Public Procurement Commission. “The most central element of this process is absent,” Murray said, adding that the Constitution of Guyana demands that this body be established.
According to Murray, the PNCR, which supports the Bill in principle, has submitted five names, and the Public Accounts Committee has to make a recommendation to the National Assembly. He said that while the government had submitted its quota of names, it had later withdrawn them, never to submit any others.
Gail Teixeira, Advisor to the President on Governance, said that the Bill is relevant and necessary. She made the connection to the new fibre-optic cable that will come from Brazil and pass through various parts of the country, changing fortunes as it snakes down to the city. She said that e-governance is about bringing equal opportunities to those who now don’t have them.
Also having his say about the Bill was Alliance for Change (AFC) member, Khemraj Ramjattan who, besides describing it as “very foxish” said the government should put on the website the reason why persons or firms are denied contracts, and the justification for those who do win contracts. He to added his voice to the call for the establishment of the Public Procurement Commission.
Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Jennifer Webster said that in addition to the advertisement, all of the pertinent information and documentation will be available on the website.
These include the bid documents, and details of the awards of the tenders. Sources however expressed concern that the introduction of the website for government advertising will see the administration relying less on the daily newspapers to provide  these services, meaning that there will be a drying up advertisements in the long-run.