Restricted bidding for new Demerara Bridge raises red flags
The Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MPI) says it will select bidders to finance, design, build and maintain the new Demerara Harbour Bridge through a restricted bidding process and only three shortlisted companies will be able to tender. The decision has raised concern among observers, with former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran and others saying that not only is the decision unlawful, but it seems calculated and also gives the perception that MPI seems to have already pre-selected who the contractor will be. However, MPI says that there is nothing sinister in its restricted tendering plan and that it was formulated based on its experience that major companies do not like bidding for projects when many others will tender. “In a design-build tender process, experience has shown that the shorter the shortlist the better and more competitive are the bids. With three firms on the shortlist, the probability of a firm winning the tender is 0.333. If there are six firms on the shortlist, the probability is 0.17,” MPI stated in response to questions from the Stabroek News.
Two Ministry of Public Security data entry clerks and a Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) employee were yesterday among four persons charged over a forged tint permit. Data entry clerks Richard Mohan, of Better Hope, and Dhanesh Dyal, 23, of Montrose, GRA employee Chateram Persaud, 24, also of Montrose, and businessman Azad Mohammed, 25, of Better Hope, were all read separate charges by Magistrate Judy Latchman in Georgetown. Mohan, Dyal and Persaud were read similar charges which alleged that between March 1, and September 25, 2017, at Georgetown, they conspired with a person or persons to forge a motor vehicle tint permit, purporting to show same was issued by the Ministry of Public Security. Mohammed was read a charge which stated that he, on September 25, uttered to police constable 21797 George, a forged motor vehicle tint permit, purporting to show same was issued by the Ministry of Public Security, knowing same to be false. All four men denied the charges.