THE Public Procurement Commission (PPC) has officially submitted its 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 Annual Reports to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, marking a key milestone in the Commission’s efforts to fulfill its constitutional mandate under Article 212CC of the Constitution of Guyana.
The ceremonial handover took place at the Public Buildings and was led by PPC Chairman, Ms. Pauline Chase, accompanied by Deputy Chairman Mr. Berkley Wickham and Chief Executive Officer Mr. Michael Singh. Receiving the reports on behalf of Parliament were Speaker, Hon. Manzoor Nadir, Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr. Sherlock Isaacs, and Assistant Clerk Ms. Deslyn West.
In her remarks, Ms. Chase expressed pride in the Commission’s achievement, noting that the submission of these back-to-back reports demonstrates the Commission’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and constitutional compliance. She highlighted that while the first report, submitted last year, covered the inaugural year (2022–2023), the latest handover ensures that there is now a report for each operational year of the Commission.
“We are proud to be the first Commission to submit annual reports for each year of operation,” Ms. Chase stated. “This fulfills our responsibility to the National Assembly and ultimately to the people of Guyana.”
She also acknowledged the challenges in compiling the voluminous documents due to the Commission’s lean staffing and the need to divert attention from day-to-day tasks to document extensive work over the period.
“Time is always a challenge. That’s why we decided to present the two Reports together. Despite that, we remain fully committed to our obligations,” Chase added.
Speaker Manzoor Nadir commended the PPC for its diligence and for meeting its constitutional duty. He underscored the importance of transparency in public procurement and lauded the Commission for its thorough documentation and timely delivery, especially with Parliament’s upcoming dissolution.
“Despite other pressing commitments, I made a special effort to be here to ensure that the handover was completed before Parliament dissolves,” Speaker Nadir said.
He also congratulated the Commissioners and staff for embracing digitalisation, noting that the Reports included QR-coded covers to facilitate easier access. The Speaker encouraged other agencies to follow suit, advocating for electronic submission of reports to improve efficiency, storage, and retrieval, while maintaining the requirement for two physical copies for archival purposes.
Under Article 212CC, annual reports must be laid in the National Assembly within 30 days of submission, if the Assembly is in session, or at the first sitting thereafter.
The submission of these Reports not only demonstrates the PPC’s organisational maturity but also reinforces its role in safeguarding transparency, efficiency, and fairness in Guyana’s public procurement system.