TWELVE companies and individual contractors operating in Guyana have been debarred from participating in the procurement process by the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

The Public Procurement Commission (PPC) made the announcement recently in a newspaper notice in which the commission itself also debarred another local contractor.

“Debarment” is defined in the Procurement Act as a determination by the PPC that a supplier or contractor should be excluded from participating in procurement proceedings for a prescribed period of time.

The penalty can come on the grounds of the presentation of falsified information; collusion between the bidders or a bidder and a public; interference with the participation of competing bidders; misconduct; conviction on a criminal offence or a civil judgement or conviction of a crime related to business or professional activities.

Those singled out by the IDB and World Bank were China Railway First Group (Guyana) Inc., debarred until September 16, 2021; Sidrai Enterprises of No. 6 Village, West Coast Berbice, debarred until June 29, 2024 and Abel Khemraj Rai of 89 Bonasika Street, Georgetown, debarred until August 22, 2024.

Debarred until December 28, 2030 were Vevakanand Dalip Enterprise Branches in Region Nine and Four; Vevakanand Dalip of Lot 97 Phase 2, Lethem; Mr. Vevakanand of 71 Somerset Court, East Bank Demerara (EBD); Ms. Sabrina Mary Williams of Lot 97 Phase 2, Lethem; Ms. Sabrina Mary Williams of 71 Somerset Court, EBD; Invepar Constructora LTD-ME of 71 Somerset Court, EBD and Invepart Constructora LTD-ME of Lot 97 Phase 2, Lethem.

Meanwhile, the PPC debarred Mohamed Fasil Yunas Trading as well as Yunas Civil and Building Construction Services and Mohamed Fasil Yunas Trading under any other names for one year beginning October 25, 2019.

The PPC stated that, guided by Regulation 3(2) of the Procurement (Suspension and Debarment) Regulations 2019, the contractors have been automatically debarred effective October 27, 2019.

A press release from the World Bank earlier in September had indicated that China Railway First Group Co. Ltd. (CRFG), a Chinese state-owned construction company, was debarred in connection with fraudulent practices under the Dasu Hydropower Stage I Project Pakistan.
The company’s local branch had been awarded the contract for the widening of the ECD highway.
According to the law, any contractor or supplier that has been debarred from participating in the procurement process of another jurisdiction or an international organisation shall be automatically debarred from participating in Guyana by the Commission.

Meanwhile, Vevakanand Dalip Enterprises, Vevakanand Dalip, Abel Khemraj Rai and Sidrai Enterprises were debarred for “fraudulent and collusive practices.”