GAPSO cites favouritism in tender process

- demands Govt. security contracts be re-advertised publicly

The Guyana Association of Private Security Organizations (GAPSO) is livid over what it terms the secretive treatment of security contracts that resulted in only three “favoured” security firms being able to tender.
The security umbrella body is referring to the opening of tenders for the provision of security services throughout Regions Two, Three, Four, Five and Six and also Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine.
The body is pointing fingers at the procurement entity, the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.
According to GAPSO, in both instances, three security services tendered -Strategic Action Security, Homesafe Security and RK’s Guyana Security Services.
The matter was highlighted at GAPSO’s monthly meeting held last Thursday and none of the companies that attended had knowledge of any publication in any newspaper or Government website requesting tenders for the projects.
“It would appear that this was an inside arrangement, and that these three companies were secretly notified. It is strange to think that with over twenty contracts security companies in Guyana, only three would be interested in such large projects.”
GAPSO noted that “The same secret arrangement for the provision of security services was made last year.” It also pointed out that Strategic Action Security and Homesafe Security are not members of GAPSO and disclosed that one of them, notwithstanding its receipt of this major government award for 2012, is still to pay its watchmen the $140 per hour minimum wage which the government had mandated effective from August 2012.
The body said that its members are legally registered security services who all pay their taxes as required by law.
“It is very unfair and unjust to us to be deliberately shut out of a process that involves taxpayers’ money,” GAPSO stressed. It expressed concern over attempts this year to separate the Coastal Regions from the interior regions.
This GAPSO said is probably due to the inability of one company to serve the entire country as was the case with Strategic Action Security last year. The body believes that it would be better if each Region’s requirements could be tendered for individually, rather than as a bloc. With this method, it explained, a smaller but more professional company would stand a better chance of being awarded a contract.
“It is only fair that the process for the tender for security services be re-advertised publicly, thus ensuring and that all interested companies have an opportunity to tender. Favouritism must not be allowed to continue,” GAPSO declared.