By Kurt Campbell
[www.inewsguyana.com] – President Donald Ramotar has made it pellucid to the political opposition and his own supporters that his Government will not institutionalize the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) unless Cabinet’s right to offer consent and/or objections to public/government projects remains.
The opposition, particularly the Alliance for Change (AFC) has been pushing for the establishment of the commission. The AFC says it will not support pieces of Government legislation unless the People’s Progressive Party Civic Administration establishes the PPC.
“The saying that we do not want the public procurement commission is far from the truth, it was this government that set up the commission in the 8th parliament,” the Head of State told party supporters at a rally to observe its 21 anniversary in power at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara on Sunday October 6.
President Ramotar explained that Guyana’s cabinet is the only one in the Caribbean that do not award contracts but only offer its no-objection.
“All we are asking for is a no objection, and they want to take that away from us… We will only institute the commission if they put back government’s no objection in the Bill,” he added.
He further questioned how the government can be held responsible if it has no prior input in the awarding of contacts.
Through the establishment of the commission, it is hoped that any corruption existing in the awarding of contracts will be eliminated and there would be more trust in public tendering for government contracts.
