Ninety persons benefited from public procurement training
A total of ninety persons, representing fifty-seven procuring entities, participated in three virtual training workshops on the topic of procurement planning organized by the Public Procurement Commission (PPC), the regulatory body for public procurement in Guyana.
The virtual workshops were implemented over the period February 8 -12, 2021, a release from the
Commission said.
According to the PPC, the training sessions were designed to emphasise the best practices and importance of procurement planning, provide tips to effectively monitor the implementation of procurement programmes and explain the functionalities of the Commission’s procurement monitoring software, which was launched in 2020. The procurement monitoring software allows procuring entities to upload their procurement plans, revise them as necessary and keep track of contract award and procurement expenditure.
The annual training plan of the Public Procurement Commission prioritises sessions on Procurement Planning and use of the
Procurement Monitoring Software. The Public Procurement Commission will continue to engage procuring entities and provide necessary support to ensure compliance with Section 4. 11A of the Procurement (Amendment) Act 2019, which, states that “Every procuring entity shall submit that entity’s procurement plans to the Public Procurement Commission for the fiscal year covered in the National Budget within 3 weeks after the National Budget is approved.”
The Commission further advised that stakeholders can access the Procurement Monitoring
Software training presentation via the training tab of the PPC’s website: https://ppc.org.gy or contact Jonelle DeViera, Communications Officer, Public Procurement Commission on e-mail: jonelle.deviera@ppc.org.g y or telephone: 592-2263729.
Approximately 250 residents of Establishment Road, Koberimo within the Northwest District, Region One will soon benefit from improved access to their community when a nearly $13 million road construction project is completed.
So said two ministers of government, Nigel Dharamlall and Collin Croal, who recently inspected the ongoing works being undertaken by contractor, International Imports and Supplies, according to a release from the Department of Public Information (DPI).
Speaking with residents along the dam that will be transformed into a road, Dharamlall said, “We would like you to have a properly constructed road. We don’t want you to have a dam constructed and in a few months after… it is destroyed…It will ease your access in and out of this area.”
Dharamlall said the road will enhance the community’s standard of living as children in particular will enjoy a smoother commute to school and health emergencies will be handled more efficiently. Dharamlall added that the upgrades are on par with Government’s plans to develop Region One as the first phase of the project was included in the 2020 Emergency Budget and other works are to be done through Budget 2021.
The project falls under the Regional Democratic Council and was decided on following consultations with the community to assess residents’ needs. The drainage works for Phase One are set to be completed within two weeks. The community will receive first time access to electricity. Additionally, Croal said water services will be enhanced for Koberimo residents. “The intention is to link all the communities in the township from Wanaina, going all the way to [Mabaruma] settlement. So, everybody will receive similar amount of pressure, including Kumaka.”
The engagement with Koberimo residents was part of a series of meetings spearheaded by Dharamlall and Croal across Region One, DPI said.
The Government of Guyana has resuscitated the MultiAgency Coordinating Committee for Addressing the Influx of Venezuelan Migrants into Guyana.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a release on Monday stated that the newly restored Committee met on Saturday and was co-chaired by Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira. The Committee plans to focus on the Venezuelan migrant situation “through a coordinated effort between the Government and international partners.”
According to the release, representatives from various government ministries, agencies, and United Nations agencies applauded the resuscitation of the committee. Attendees examined means of strengthening its capacity through “coherent policies to prevent uncoordinated and duplicated activities.” Discussions also focused on irregular border crossings and the registration of migrants as well as outlined initiatives and ongoing projects to assist migrants.
Among those present at the meeting were Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Elizabeth Harper; Director of the Bilateral Unit, Ambassador Michael Brotherson; and Director of the Legal Division, Kezia Campbell-Erskine; representing the Foreign affairs Ministry.
They were joined by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Regional Coordinator and Chief of Mission Robert Natiello; United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Senior Liaison Officer, Cecilie Saenz Guerrero; United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Representative, Nicolas Pron; UNICEF Deputy Representative, Irfan Akhtar; United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Liaison Officer, Alder Bynoe; Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Consultant on Disaster Preparedness, Tamica Noel, and representatives from several government ministries, the Guyana Police Force, Regional Health Services, the Civil Defence Commission, and the Child Care and Protection Agency.