A total of 1,491 contracts amounting to $181.794 Billion were awarded by the National Procurement and Tender Administration over a period of one year – from July 8, 2022 to July 7, 2023.

Additionally, 67 contracts totaling US$319.103M were issued in United States Dollars.

This is according to a report of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) laid before the National Assembly by Senior Minister with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh.

The PPC said all of the notifications of awards were issued using the National Competitive Bidding (NCB) category, which is an open tendering method of procurement, and no debarred supplier or contractor benefited from a contract during the period.

According to the report, the highest number of contracts were handed out by the Ministry of Public Works (361), the Ministry of Agriculture’s National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) (226), the Ministry of Home Affairs (159), the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development (135), the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) (117), Guyana Water Inc (GWI) (93) and the Ministry of Education (77).

It was explained that from the 1,491 contract awards, Government Ministries accounted for 844, which represents 61% to the sum of $104.738B while statutory bodies accounted for 421 representing 18% to the sum of $46.676B.

The remaining 226 contracts, representing 20% were procured by public enterprises and government department, and amounted to $30.368B.

As part of a compliance review, the PPC assessed 12 of the projects, and found that of that number only three were in breach of the Procurement Act. Those three related to the supply and delivery of surgical instrument to the Georgetown Hospital, the photocopying of 16,000 curriculum guides for the Ministry of Education and the supply and delivery of one new SUV vehicle for operations and field use for the Education Ministry.  In all three cases, the incorrect procurement method was used.

Additionally, during the reported period, the Commission received 10 complaints and requests for investigations on the basis of alleged irregularities. Four of those cases have been deemed closed by the Commission. The other complaints are currently being investigated.

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