Procurement commission could be seriously affected by PAC gridlock

The reluctance of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chair, Mr David Patterson, to step down from that position, or end the gridlock, is putting at risk the continued employment of staff at the PPC (Public Procurement Commission) whose contracts are coming to an end. The staff cannot be on the job after the expiration of their contracts, as it is only the Commission that can authorize the renewal of those contracts. It would be illegal for anyone else to usurp this authority.

It would also be a huge waste ($ millions) of taxpayers’ money to have a PPC Secretariat staff without a functioning Commission. When the costs for rental, security, utilities and other services are added, the amount of wastage soars. The gridlock at the PAC should, therefore, not be allowed to derail the appointment and work of the PPC as well as put the jobs of the 20+ employees at risk, and undermining the foundational principles of transparency and accountability in the procurement and contracting process where billions of dollars are allocated annually.

The term of the last Public Procurement Commission that was set in motion in 2016, expired on October 27, 2019; but 2 Commissioners were each granted a one-year extension (until October 2020) in accordance with the constitution. Thus, from October 2020, there has been no oversight in the contracting process. In the circumstances, the challenge to transparency and accountability has become formidable.

The PPC, citing Article 212 AA of the Guyana constitution, indicates