Procurement overhaul in the works – Pres Ali

Last Updated on Monday, 8 September 2025, 22:37 by Writer

President Irfaan Ali on Sunday said Guyana’s procurement system would be revamped, amid lingering local and overseas concerns.

“Our procurement system will be modernised and strengthened with a tiered system to promote wider participation and ensure accountability and transparency,” he said in an address at a ceremony to mark his second inauguration as president following his victory at the September 1 general and regional elections.

The opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) had repeatedly called for opposition representation on the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), amid concerns about the award of an almost GY$1 billion pump station contract to Tepui Inc. whose principal includes pro-People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) social media influencer Mikhail Rodrigues. After lingering for several months, the works were eventually taken over by GAICO Construction.

The PPPC had previously criticised the then A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) for sole-sourcing of a Dutch firm to design the new Demerara Harbour Bridge without the involvement of the NPTAB. That arrangement was subsequently scrapped when the PPPC returned to office in 2020.

Recently, the Ali administration came under the microscope when information surfaced that the Canadian company, Method4, which had won a contract to supervise the installation of a new US$422 million power grid, was subsequently shelved and the Dominican Republic’s InterEnergy Group was sole sourced by NPTAB under the sole sourcing provisions of the Procurement Act.

Then Chief Executive Officer of the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), Adam Boehler had said, during a visit to Guyana in October, 2020, that the American government was keen on winning competitive bids and delivering quality infrastructure built by local labour. “Our focus (is) on high quality projects and local labour to drive those.”

Corruption

The President also announced that his government would establish a “dedicated” anti-corruption unit to ensure efficiency, fairness, and credibility of public service. He said the anti-corruption fight would also be extended to the private sector. “That is why we will strengthen our anti-corruption efforts by establishing a dedicated anti-corruption unit, tasked with excising this cancer from our institutions and holding public and private officials to the highest standards of integrity.”

“Every official will be required to account for their personal assets, and anyone who cannot do so will face the full force of the law. We will pursue both the corrupted and the corrupters, leaving no room for impunity,” he said.

Dr Ali used the opportunity to emphasise that the government does not have a system of lobbying, and persons representing themselves as lobbyists or peddling access to anyone in government is misrepresenting themselves and misleading others. “A special mechanism will be set up to deal with such individuals,” he said.