The government is aiming to complete and integrate a national electronic procurement system by the end of this year, President Irfaan Ali announced yesterday, saying it would allow the public to track tenders from their publication through to the award of contracts.
Speaking at a press conference, Ali said Finance Secretary Sukrishnalall Pasha was leading the initiative, which forms part of a manifesto commitment to modernise the public procurement system.
The proposed platform will comprise a digital register of bidders, a national electronic tender portal, an end-to-end tender-management module and an online marketplace for routine purchases.
Ali said the system would replace the largely paper-based process and make procurement information easier to track.
“When we launch the digital platform that I have spoken about, that would necessitate maybe some amendments in the legislation itself,” he said.
He said the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) already maintains a register of bidders but that this would be expanded to include the beneficial ownership of contractors, suppliers and consultants.
The register is also expected to show their Guyana Revenue Authority and National Insurance Scheme compliance, classification as small, medium or large businesses, past performance and any debarment or suspension.
Under the plan, NPTAB’s website would become a single portal for public procurement plans, tender notices, bidding documents, clarifications, bid submissions and contract-award notices.
The electronic tender-lifecycle module would cover procurement planning, the creation and publication of tenders, submission and evaluation of bids, contract awards, contract administration, variations, payments and real-time tracking.
According to Ali, it would automate routine compliance checks, provide evaluators with structured scoring tools, flag risks and anomalies and generate management-oversight dashboards.
He said the system would preserve the statutory approval structure.
The proposed electronic marketplace would allow public agencies to purchase routine, low- to medium-value goods and standard services from prequalified suppliers. Purchases would be based on standard specifications, published prices, framework arrangements and electronic purchase orders.
Ali said the marketplace could create greater opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses, adding that the government was considering reserving between 25% and 30% of public procurement for them.
He did not say whether the proposed reservation would apply by the number or value of contracts, nor did he provide a timetable for its introduction.
The President said the completed platform would be accessible to the public and would allow bidders and other interested persons to follow the process from tendering to contract award.
He suggested that users would also be able to determine whether a successful contractor had numerous unfinished government projects.
The system, he said, would make information on outstanding work and contractor performance available during evaluations and to the public.
Ali maintained that Cabinet did not select contractors under the present arrangement. He said evaluators and the relevant tender board made recommendations, while Cabinet could offer or withhold its no-objection.
He also described the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board as having multi-stakeholder representation drawn from the public and private sectors and independent interests.
Responding to a question about specifically providing places for civil-society and opposition representatives, Ali said he had not rejected the suggestion.
He said the government could review the board’s present composition to determine whether it remained adequate, given the growth in public projects and the resulting workload, or whether the legislation should be amended to expand its membership.
Ali did not commit to opposition or civil-society representation, saying only that the existing arrangements could be examined.
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