Georgetown : Education Minister Shaik Baksh in refuting claims made by Kaieteur News in its July 27 edition, “Minister Baksh Lied” said that the article is filled with distortions, inaccuracies and fabrication to claim that the Education Ministry approved a $223M computer contract.
The Minister while addressing media operatives during a post-Cabinet briefing at the Office of the President said that the Ministry has issued a paid advertisement setting the records straight, with respect to the award of contracts to Digital Technology.
“The Kaieteur News continued to exude its sludge in its reporting and I want to deal with this lie. The paper stated that the Ministry reiterated that it does not award contracts and I want to say that is correct and we stand by it,” he said.
The article carried by the newspaper, stated that it is clear the Education Ministry was the deciding entity in the award of the $223M contract, to Digital Technology for the supply of 1,400 desktop computers.
Minister Baksh in defending Government’s position, said that the issue will be taken further, since the Ministry currently has evidence to show that the $70M contract was awarded by the Tender Board on April 20 based on a ‘no objection’ by Cabinet, while the said contract ($223M), was awarded on July 12.
The National Procurement and Tender Administration Board is the authority responsible for the evaluation and the award of contracts and as such, it is by no mean that the Education Ministry could have decided on the entity to be awarded the contract.
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