Georgetown: Disgruntled contractors bidding for government jobs can protest their rejection for selected bids, according to Chairman of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board, (NPTAB), Berkley Wickham.
Wickham noted that the system has been in place to ensure that the procurement of goods, services and the execution of works are conducted in accordance with the relevant laws.
According to Wickham, the Bid Protest Committee under the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) would review the report of a disgruntled contractor to determine whether his/her claims can be substantiated.
The NPTAB Chairman stressed that the committee provides a forum for contractors to air their concerns about the tender process and have those concerns addressed.
His comment comes in wake of a complaint by a small contractor who raised questions over the manner in which contracts are awarded by the State.
The contractor complained of the selection process, which he says, favours large contractors. “Whenever the government puts out tenders for big projects, the projects most likely find themselves in the hands of the big contractors, even though small contractors offer to do the work for far less.”
However, the NPTAB official clarified that contracts are not awarded merely on the basis of cost. There is a list of technical and administrative criteria that a contractor is required to satisfy before the contract is awarded.
Wickham specified that the list includes a compliance certificate from the National Insurance Scheme, (NIS), Guyana Revenue Authority, (GRA) – which is to ensure taxes are up to date, a business registration certificate, and bid security — a small percentage paid as part of securing the bid.
Additionally, he said, the company must provide documentation outlining the capability of its workforce, experience and financial capability to complete the project.
“Contracts are not awarded based on the lowest cost [offered to do a project] but the lowest evaluated bid.”
Wickham emphasized that if a contractor is dissatisfied with the manner in which the project is awarded, he has the option of raising it at the level of the Bid Protest Committee.
The committee was initially under the purview of the Tender Administration Board and later moved to the PPC.
“That mechanism is in place to assist contractors who want to protest the tender.
Additionally, the Tender Board Chairman said that it would be useful if agencies notify the unsuccessful bidders as to the reasons why they were not selected.
“Contractors can also inquire from the subject agencies why their bid was selected for the project. It would serve to help guide them, where they went wrong and how they can avoid mistakes in future bids, because there are instances where a contractor fails to do simple things such as sign off on a bid document,” he said.
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