Specialty hospital contract to be reviewed – Dr Luncheon

TIMES INT'L

By Michael Younge

Government’s chief spokesperson, Dr Roger Luncheon on Wednesday announced that the controversial contract to Surendra Engineering to build the US$ 18.1 million specialty hospital will be reexamined.
Luncheon, who is also secretary to the Cabinet, explained that the administration became aware on Tuesday of the formal protests and calls for an official review to be undertaken by one of the bidders, Fedders Lloyd. He said it was the usual practice for the disadvantaged bidder to lodge a protest in accordance with the protest provisions in the Procurement Act.

Government’s chief spokesperson, Dr Roger Luncheon

“My information yesterday (Tuesday) is that a protest of some sort was lodged with the procurement entity, the Ministry of Health,” Luncheon confirmed. He made it clear that the administration, which believes in following the law, will obviously seek to launch a process that would see the reexamination of the award of the contract.
“On that basis and presuming that the way in which it was done accorded with the provisions in law, I see no other alternative but to have this entire award reassessed and the basis for the protest examined,” Luncheon said.
When contacted about the development, Health Minister Dr Bheri Ramsaran said he was happy that the procurement process was being stringently followed according to the rules and regulations outlined in the law. “I am very happy that the process is working… we seem to be going along the accepted standard and international procedures,” Dr Ramsaran stated.
He did explain that as health minister, he does not have any direct involvement in the process as the permanent secretary of the Health Ministry functions as the head of the procurement unit by law.
Dr Ramsaran did say that he was very pleased to see that the aggrieved company and disadvantaged bidder Fedders Lloyd was now following the process in a more lawful and accepted manner.

Related posts

Comments are closed.