The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has invited nominations for the Public Procurement Commission (PPC), setting November 11 as the deadline for submissions as it moves towards reconstituting the constitutional oversight body.
The invitation comes more than a year after the previous commission’s term ended in July 2025.
In a notice issued by Parliament Office, the committee invited stakeholders, political parties, civil organisations and individuals to submit the names of persons eligible to serve as commissioners.
Under Article 212X of the Constitution, the commission comprises five members with expertise and experience in procurement, legal, financial and administrative matters. The President appoints the commissioners following their nomination by the PAC and approval by at least two-thirds of the elected members of the National Assembly.
The committee said competence would be the foremost consideration, while expressing a wish for the commission’s composition to reflect, as far as possible, Guyana’s national and gender makeup.
Nominees should also be of good repute, have no criminal records and no history of bankruptcy, the notice stated. Those appointed would serve on a part-time basis.
The PPC was established through constitutional amendments in 2001 to monitor public procurement and related procedures, with the aim of ensuring that the acquisition of goods and services and the execution of works are conducted fairly, equitably, transparently, competitively and cost-effectively. However, the first commissioners were not appointed until October 2016.
The second commission, appointed in July 2022, comprised Pauline Chase, Joel Bhagwandin, Rajnarine Singh, Berkley Wickham and Dianna Rajcumar. Its three-year term ended in July last year.
The absence of a functioning commission has featured in concerns about procurement oversight. In a September 6 report, Kiskadee Watch quoted former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran as calling for an independent and effective PPC, free of political interference, alongside a comprehensive review of the Procurement Act. He argued that weaknesses in the system required urgent attention to restore public confidence and secure value for money in government purchases and contracts.
The PAC’s notice requires submissions to come from clearly identifiable addresses and/or named organisations.
Nominations should be addressed to the Clerk of the Committee, Public Accounts Committee, Committees Division, Parliament Office, Public Buildings, Brickdam, Georgetown, or emailed to [email protected].
Further information is available by calling 226-8458, extension 233, or 627-2897 or 644-0698.
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