Rigid criteria for contractors needed – Jagdeo

The government is keen on empowering contractors needed to execute its ambitious developmental drive but amid concerns over the capability of at least one new company, Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo says a rigid evaluation criteria should be in place.

“… Clearly, we have to ensure that there is no arbitrariness in the application of evaluation criteria and if you know that the market doesn’t have enough bidders… you have to craft the evaluation criteria in a manner that would allow you to stick rigidly with it,” the Vice President said on Thursday.

He was responding to questions raised about the contract awarded to the Tepui Group for the construction of a pump station at Belle Vue, West Bank Demerara during his weekly press conference.

Already, the government welcomed the Public Procurement Commission’s (PPC) review of the contract and said it remains committed to accountability and transparency in public spending even as it makes a deliberate effort to help build local capacity.

Though acknowledging the situation with the Belle Vue project, the Vice President pointed out that projects executed by established, experienced contractors are also delayed because of the heavy workload now.

So he believes that rigid criteria could help to curtail delays and keep contractors, particularly new ones, in check.

Recently, Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh sought to explain to the public that the government is still keen on developing more local contractors to help meet the “tremendous demand” for contracted services locally.

According to him, the government’s accelerated development drive can quickly exhaust the long standing contractors.