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FM
Former Member

lilmohan and the rest of afc/pnc supporters screamed for years about the need for a procurement process for contracts that was transparent and fair. But yet these same folks are quiet quiet as PNC constantly hand picks contractors and bypass the procurement process. They are content to blast the board with PNC/AFC propaganda daily and kick back and wait for oil. 

IDB’s credibility now at stake in light of ‘procurement fraud’ ­­­­- Teixeira

30

New Demerara River Crossing

…says highly suspect contract could lead to criminal charges

Now that Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson has indicated that the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) had funded the Feasibility Report for the $146 million New Demerara River Crossing, that international financial institution is being called on to make a public statement on the matter, in light of the different pronouncements being made.

Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira

The People’s Progressive Party, on Friday, through its Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, made the demand of the IDB in light of its reputation and adherence to procedures—procedures that Teixeira insists appear to have been flouted by the Public Infrastructure Ministry.
Teixeira on Friday met with members of the local press corps, along with Member of Parliament Bishop Juan Edghill, to call on the IDB to make public its involvement in the entire sordid affair which is now mired in controversy.
“The credibility of the IDB is now at stake,” Teixeira said, as the Members of Parliament questioned how exactly the Public Infrastructure Ministry came to know of the Dutch consultants it eventually paid to undertake the study.

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson

Bishop Egdhill, in questioning the choice of the company and how the ministry came to know of the company, pointed out that the company was not even interested in providing an Expression of Interest in the project when the ministry first advertised for the feasibility study.
Patterson, in what was described as a knee-jerk reaction to a publicised complaint and call for a formal investigation to be done by the Public Procurement Commission (PPC), had issued a public statement which essentially confirmed that Government did in fact hand-pick the Dutch consultants.
According to Patterson, with funding from the IDB, the ministry advertised the Consultancy for Feasibility Study and Design for the new Demerara River Bridge, and 22 entities expressed their interest.
Twelve of the 22 firms were subsequently shortlisted, but according to Minister Patterson, only two submitted bids; and of the two submissions, only one firm had a valid bid, albeit the firm’s bid price exceeded the US$800,000 budget.
He said, too, that concerns were also raised on the technical level.
Minister Patterson said the Public Infrastructure Ministry subsequently made the decision to annul the process in May, following permission from the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) and the Finance Ministry.

The Opposition has since demanded the minutes and documentation verifying all of what Patterson has claimed, including the authorization issued by the NPTAB.

In demanding the minutes of meetings and other pertinent documentation, Edghill also demanded the evaluation report for the company to undertake the project, and questioned against which companies the report was compared, since the process had been annulled in the first instance.
Teixeira, in addressing the matter on Friday, firstly pointed to the fact that had the PPP not complained very publicly to the Procurement Commission, the information divulged by Patterson would not have seen the light of day.
She was adamant that the Administration has never made public the fact that it had discarded the original tenders for the project, and had in fact instead hand-picked a consultant.
Pointing to the Administration’s penchant for retendering for projects—a situation which has led to the abysmal implementation of any of its annual budgets—she said there is no record of a contract being awarded to any company, including the Dutch consultants that eventually prepared the report.
According to Teixeira, the explanations given by Minister Patterson have simply mired the contract in even more controversy, and makes the contract even more highly suspect. “And in my view, (this) could lead to criminal charges,” she expressed.Teixeira said that by Minister Patterson’s own admission, he is making the situation worse, and she pointed to the fact that his public statement is the first to implicate the IDB in the process.
As such, Teixeira told media operatives, “If this is so: that the IDB was funding the feasibility study – and, at this point, we can’t believe anything the Government is saying, because we are now being overloaded with lies, in a sense — if that is so that the IDB is funding it, what is at stake now is the credibility of the IDB.”
The Opposition Chief Whip was adamant, “It is important for the IDB to say, ‘yes,’ they were funding this project; two: that they approved this process.”
She recalled that the IDB has its own procurement laws, which would dictate that the matter cannot be simply transported to the level of Cabinet.
Teixeira reminded that, before the Cabinet is allowed to have a voice in the matter, the NPTAB must first write to the IDB, which would then decide on approvals before it can be transmitted to the Cabinet for its no objection.
Insisting that the local procurement laws had been flouted, the Opposition Chief Whip was quick to also point out that she was not in any way attacking the Dutch company, but rather the process used by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure.
Teixeira, in writing to the Public Procurement Commission calling for an investigation, had pointed out to the constitutional body that part of Guyana’s international obligations under the Inter-American Convention against Corruption was to ensure that there was transparency and accountability, in order to enhance public trust and confidence, particularly in respect to the public procurement process.

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cain posted:

Dunno the source of the publication but when I read that in a real news report I might then speak my mind.

Thank you for showing your face on this thread at least. Djangy and the rest of the gang are silent.  If you are looking for "real" news report, then don't hold your breath, the rest of the media are supporters of the pnc/afc, stabroek, kaieteur etc. 

FM
Drugb posted:
cain posted:

Dunno the source of the publication but when I read that in a real news report I might then speak my mind.

Thank you for showing your face on this thread at least. Djangy and the rest of the gang are silent.  If you are looking for "real" news report, then don't hold your breath, the rest of the media are supporters of the pnc/afc, stabroek, kaieteur etc. 

I cannot find the source for the article in the opening post. 

cain

Look ah rass hay, now they retracting and contracting without procurement.  Dem pnc/a afc supporters quiet quiet as they condone corruption and claim they can't find the source of articles. 

IDB did not fund feasibility study for new Dem. Bridge – Minister David Patterson

 

The Ministry of Public Infrastructure last evening corrected itself that the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) did not fund the consultancy for a feasibility study for a new Demerara River crossing.

Minister David Patterson

In a statement, the ministry said that it is retracting a statement issued on the evening of Thursday, September 21, 2017 in a press release.
“The original statement indicated that with funding from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Ministry advertised the Consultancy for Feasibility Study and Design for the new Demerara River Bridge. However, the Ministry wishes to state that the Consultancy was not funded by the IDB but rather by the Government of Guyana,” MPI said.
The ministry said that the mix-up arose since the IDB was funding the Feasibility Study and Design for the bridge across the Demerara River at Wismar, at about the same time.
“Please note that the other statements made in the press release remain the same and the Ministry stands by these. Furthermore, the Ministry wishes to apologise for any inconveniences the incorrect statement may have caused.”
The study, conducted by Dutch engineering firm, LievenseCSO, was released recently by the Government to the public.
However, the Opposition has written the Public Procurement Commission (PPC), which oversees state contracts, asking for an investigation into how the award was made.
The Opposition said that its investigations revealed that Lievense was not among 22 companies that made a bid for the consultancy. It was also said that there is no evidence that the tenders were ever cancelled.
MPI said that the shortlisted companies failed in the evaluation and that after engagements, the Dutch company was chosen, with the approval of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB).
LievenseCSO was awarded the consultancy for $146M.
The feasibility study recommended a new bridge be built linking Houston, East Bank Demerara, and Versailles, West Bank Demerara. The low-level bridge will consist of three lanes, include two flyover bridges over the pubic roads, and 11 kilometers of new roads to ensure that there congestion is eased.
The old bridge should be demolished after the new one is commissioned, it was recommended.

What the consultant is proposing that the new bridge should look like.

FM
cain posted:
Drugb posted:
cain posted:

Dunno the source of the publication but when I read that in a real news report I might then speak my mind.

Thank you for showing your face on this thread at least. Djangy and the rest of the gang are silent.  If you are looking for "real" news report, then don't hold your breath, the rest of the media are supporters of the pnc/afc, stabroek, kaieteur etc. 

I cannot find the source for the article in the opening post. 

Damn, all of a sudden you helpless. When it benefits you, you go to the end of the world to dig up anti ppp propaganda. Of course it is Guyana Times, the only newspapers these days criticizing the govt, the rest reaping a windfall on govt advertising, so will not rock the boat with any anti govt investigations. Back in PPP time all day and night Kaieteur would blast their front pages with anti govt propaganda and crime, now they hardly even report crime, much less make it front page news. 

FM

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