Digital Technology bids for new UG computers contract

Digital Technology is among three companies which have submitted bids to supply computers and accessories to the University of Guyana (UG).

The bids were opened yesterday in the boardroom of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPT&AB) where Digital Technology submitted a bid of $2,925,210. The two other bidders were NT Computeac and CCS which bid $2,993,060 and $2,906, 175 respectively.  The procuring entity is the Ministry of Education.

Controversy swirled around Digital Technology earlier this year after it acquired several multi-million dollar government contracts despite concerns about its track record.  In July, the company won a $223 million contract to supply the computers for the Ministry of Education.

Subsequently, the company was awarded a further $70 million to provide more computers, plus servers and overhead projectors. Following the media scrutiny then Education Minister Shaik Baksh stood by the award of the contracts and said that they were awarded through a competitive bidding process overseen by the NPTAB.

Last month, the Ministry of Education (MoE), in a release, said Digital Technology had fulfilled its obligations on September 29.   The company has also delivered on its obligation to provide office equipment such as computers, servers and overhead projectors to the technical and vocational education centres at Leonora and Mahaicony.

According to the ministry, it has commenced the distribution of the 1400 computers, with 55 of 64 schools already receiving the instruments. The remaining schools were to receive their allotment subsequently.

Meanwhile, two companies bid to supply workshop equipment to the Government Technical Institute (GTI). These companies are: Orkan Construction which bid $2,537,461 and Mohammed Baksh Trading and Pest Control Plus which submitted a bid of $3,476,000.

Bids were also opened for the supply of machinery equipment to the Linden Training Institute (LTI).  Orkan Construction bid $6,991,937 while Mohammed Baksh Trading and Pest Control Plus bid $6,967,000.