Former Member
Gov’t Minister allegedly creates 20 companies to bid for contracts – PPP/C
October 25, 2015 By GuyanaTimes
Lack of transparency continues:
BY EDWARD LAYNE
The integrity of the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Government is again coming in for scrutiny, and now the opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has said it is in receipt of information which shows that a Minister of President David Granger’s Cabinet formed some 20 new companies which are being handed lucrative Government contracts.
“We have heard about some 20 companies that have been created… one particular minister is busy creating these companies and they are now given contracts… we have one case [where] the person told me… he will get the contract if he promises to appoint as sub-contractors, these people, these newly created companies. This is a major shift and it’s all being done quietly with very little scrutiny,” Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo told a news conference Friday, but was hesitant to name the Minister, noting that his Party was still examining the matter; and will make further disclosures in due course.
The Opposition Leader however put on notice “all the offending parties” that the PPP/C is paying attention to this development and urged public officers who are involved in evaluation of bids not to allow themselves to be pressured.
“We want to urge them [public officers] not to be pressured into making particular recommendations or to expose when they come under pressure to change recommendations, because a lot of this is happening now. It is something that is big on our horizon now. We have just started exploring it and it’s quite shocking that in such a short period of time so much is being done in this regard,” Jagdeo posited.
No Objection Clause Meanwhile, Jagdeo revealed that Cabinet’s No Objection Clause in the public procurement process is now being interpreted “differently” by the APNU+AFC Government.