CHAIRMAN of the Cabinet Sub- Committee on Small Business, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, has met with the Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin, and the Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson, to discuss involvement of small businesses and contractors in the public procurement process.Among issues discussed were the Public Procurement Act, and how small businesses and contractors can be given contracts without compromising quality. Also highlighted were the need to empower small businesses and contractors; and fair and equal distribution of contracts, once persons would have complied with the necessary regulations.

This meeting formed part of the mandate of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Small Business, which is to examine how best small businesses and contractors can be incorporated into the Government’s procurement process.

The Sub-Committee on Business was established in July following concerns raised by small business persons and contractors at a public procurement symposium held at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara.

Members of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Small Business are Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo (Chairman); Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams; Minister of Business and Tourism, Dominic Gaskin; Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson; Minster of Communities, Ronald Bulkan; and Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan.

Minister Ferguson represented Minister Patterson, who is currently overseas, while the other members of the committee were unavailable, a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office has said.