Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday called for the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) to investigate government’s huge increases in thresholds for restricted tendering and he warned heads of agencies not to get ensnared by illegalities.
“If they comply with this they will be complicit in an illegal act and could be held responsible for the consequences, face the courts, face fines… [and] charges,” Jagdeo said during a press conference held at his Church Street, Georgetown office.
His comments came a day after shadow minister of finance, PPP/C Member of Parliament Juan Edghill released a copy of a circular, signed by Mark Bender, Deputy Chairman of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), advising permanent secretaries, agency and corporation heads and regional administrations that the threshold for restricted tendering in the case of contracts for goods and services has been increased from $3 million to $10 million, and that the threshold for contracts for construction has been increased from $10 million to $20 million.
