COME 2017, a Debarment Committee will be established to expel defaulting firms and individuals who have been non-compliant with the Procurement Act.Finance Minister Winston Jordan made this announcement during his end-of-year press conference on Monday.

He said efforts are being made to “bring back some respectability” to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), noting that there is evidence of more transparency in the body.

“Everything is being done in the open… we have some ways to go but now we have a Public Procurement Commission that will be overseeing them,” he told reporters.

According to Jordan, the Bid Protest Committee is also functioning and since its establishment has produced two reports. But he said it is important for a Debarment Committee to be established.

“They are going to be looking to set up a Debarment Committee and so on, they are working… it is provided for in the Act and it is meant to debar individuals and firms who have been non-compliant or have ran afoul of the Procurement Act.”

Additionally, the Minister said technical assistance is being provided by the Inter-American Development Bank to streamline the operations of procurement administrators.

The assistance provided will assist the entities in preparing procurement plans; develop a website and information system that provides relevant information to the public.

It is expected that the Debarment Committee will be established early in the new year and according to the Minister of Finance, the Committee will aid in enhancing accountability and transparency in the area of public procurement.

The Bid Protest Committee and the Public Procurement Commission were recently established and have resulted in greater scrutiny being placed on the NPTAB, thereby resulting in the end of “backroom deals in Robb Street”.

The Finance Minister made it clear that local contractors would have to improve their modus operandi as the APNU-AFC Government will ensure that it receives value for money. Over the years there have been several criticisms about contractors carrying out shoddy works across the country; and the lack of proper accountability measures had resulted in millions of dollars in losses in the area of infrastructural development.

A fitting example is the Kato Secondary School located in Region Eight which initially cost the Government $728.1 million for the initial construction and at least another $140 million to rehabilitate, auditing firm Rodrigues Architects Limited had stated.

Other examples include the $350M East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) Northern Relief Channel Public Road Bridge at Hope, East Coast Demerara in Region Four.

Reports indicate that both approaches (east and west) have begun to sink causing a “depression” which results in a sudden rise and ending in an abrupt drop and the poorly constructed High Street, Georgetown building originally earmarked to be occupied by the Ministry of Social Services.