Procurement commission aiming for access to contract awards

The PPC recently convened a meeting with the Ministry of Finance designed to enhance public procurement efficiency and it is aiming for access to contract awards.

The Public Procurement Commission (PPC) has recently come under scrutiny for its handling of an examination of the award of a pump station contract to Tepui Inc.

The meeting, chaired by Pauline Chase, Chairman of the PPC, included Berkley Wickham (virtual), Deputy Chairman; Commissioner Joel Bhagwandin; Commissioner Rajnarine Singh; CEO Michael Singh; Head of Legal Affairs Bibi Shabena Ali; and Samantha Sheoprashad, Public Relations Officer. The Ministry of Finance was represented by Finance Secretary Sukrishnalall Pasha, accompanied by Vishnu Nan, Advisor at the Ministry of Finance, and Melissa Singh, Deputy Audit Manager.

According to the press release, key outcomes of the discussion included the PPC establishing Standard Operating Procedures [SOPs] for monitoring and evaluation, thereby strengthening the commission’s current functions within the public procurement process; accessing contract awards at all levels, including ministerial, regional, and national tender board levels, to ensure transparency and accountability.

It was also agreed, according to the press statement, that the PPC’s access to general information on ongoing project lifecycles and completed projects will assist to monitor and evaluate the functioning of the procurement process, and, monitoring of project progress by the PPC will ensure value for money and adherence to procurement guidelines.

It is unclear why the PPC is only now addressing these matters when it has been in office since July 2022.

The meeting was held at the PPC’s office at 262 New Garden Street, Queenstown, Georgetown.