Subsequent to the passage of the Procurement Amendment Bill of 2010 last month, Government has officially launched its procurement website as part of its implementation of its wider ICT strategy, which will also include many Government services being made accessible by the computer or enabled mobile phone. With the use of the website, www.eprocure.gov.gy, not only contractors and suppliers of goods and services, but also the general public will be able to freely access all Government advertising.
The Government said in a notice that the move is in tandem with the recent upgrade of bandwidth, clearly making reference to the new Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GT&T) submarine cable. Government is also bringing in its own cable from Brazil to enhance the amount of redundancy available for the engagement of e-services and other ICT products.
According to Government, the website will enhance accountability and transparency by displaying all current advertisements and notices according to sectors and categories while maintaining an inventory of past placements.
Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, when piloting the Bill through the National Assembly, had said that the aim of it is to utilize the services of the internet as a vehicle where Government procurement opportunities can be disseminated.
The Minister explained that if one were to access this website, one would be able to search it and find a listing and details of opportunities in one’s area of interest. During the passage of the legislation, the Minister 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 others already utilize websites where procurement notices can be found.
A check of the website found that it had on it a notice of a re-tender for the  supply and installation of office equipment for the Agricultural Diversification Programme, a re-tender for the supply and installation of visual equipment for the Agricultural Export Diversification Programme, for the supply of medical equipment and furniture for the Ministry of Health, Materials Management Unit, for the reconstruction of a chain link fence for the Satyadeow Sawh Aquaculture Station, applications for entry into the Lower Sixth Form for students wishing to sit the Caribbean Advance Proficiency Examinations (CAPE), a vacancy for a Programme Officer at the  National Authorising Officer Task Force in the Ministry of Finance, a vacancy for a Finance Officer at the Demerara Harbour Bridge, an advisory from the Ministry of Home Affairs on the processing time for a Guyana passport, and a vacancy for a Treaty Officer within the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The sidebar of the site said that a comprehensive search enables the user to scan the entire site by word, phrase, sector, and ministry, and that the user can subscribe to RSS feeds to get hourly updates. The site still needs work to bring all of the advertisements thereon into the various categories.
On July 22, the National Assembly passed the amendment with the approval of both sides of the House. But the passage of the legislation was not without controversy, as members of the Opposition took the opportunity to rap Government on the non-appointment of members of the Public Procurement Commission, which is constitutionally mandated.