THE Government of Guyana has not yet awarded any contracts for the provision of textbooks to the Ministry of Education for distribution to students, as the issue is still at the tender board stage, Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon stated Thursday. Dr. Luncheon told media operatives during this week’s post-Cabinet media briefing that consideration of the original tender has not been completed. “It has not been officially returned from the tender board with a recommendation for an award by Cabinet,” he said.
He acknowledged that the recent injunction granted by the Court against the selling of duplicated text books locally would have an impact on those awards.
The HPS pointed out the arrangements with publishers, the government and interested parties in the sector, that is, the lawyers within the sector – “that arrangement would have to be completed before this matter gets to the point where contracts could indeed be given out for the procurement of textbooks.”
Dr. Luncheon said also that he is aware that subsequent to the injunction granted, there is only one award that can be made.
The issue of textbook procurement surfaced two weeks ago when the media reported that government was infringing on copyright laws. The focus was on one of the policy considerations for procurement tenders, which stated that the books supplied must be as close as possible to the original text.
Dr. Luncheon had given the assurance that while the matter involves government and those from whom the text books are procured, interactions are ongoing and will continue with the editors, owners, and writers. (GINA)