Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring that small contractors across all 10 administrative regions benefit from public procurement opportunities, emphasising that a rigorous vetting process is underway to eliminate irregularities before contracts are awarded.
Speaking at a large-scale public outreach event on Monday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Dr Jagdeo said the administration is pressing ahead with efforts to broaden access to government contracts fairly and transparently, particularly for small business operators and first-time contractors.
The Vice President explained that the government recently introduced a nationwide pre-qualification process to create a more structured system for awarding small contracts, while remaining fully compliant with the country’s Procurement Act.
According to Dr Jagdeo, under previous arrangements, contracts valued at less than $15 million could legally be awarded without a public tender. This mechanism had already assisted thousands of Guyanese over the years. However, many citizens had complained that they were unsure how to access these opportunities, prompting the government to formalise the process.
He noted that the response to the initiative was overwhelming, with nearly 12,000 contractors applying to be pre-qualified for government work.
Dr Jagdeo revealed that technical teams are scrutinising the submissions following several irregularities uncovered during the review process. Among the concerns identified were cases involving multiple companies linked to members of the same family, despite restrictions outlined in the guidelines, and attempts by larger contractors to secure access through smaller operators.
Describing the process as complex, Dr Jagdeo said that authorities are determined to “cleanse the list” to ensure only legitimate applicants benefit from the programme.
Despite the challenges, he stressed that the administration’s objective remains unchanged: to create opportunities for ordinary Guyanese and to help small businesses grow over time.
He assured that once the verification process is complete, legitimate pre-qualified contractors will receive opportunities throughout the year, though not everyone can be accommodated in the first phase of awards.
Dr Jagdeo acknowledged the frustrations of some applicants who have not yet secured contracts but explained that the programme’s scale makes it impossible to issue thousands of contracts at once.
The Vice President maintained that the initiative reflects a central promise made by the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic in the 2025 election campaign — to expand economic participation and ensure that procurement opportunities are shared more widely across the population.
He contrasted the current approach with that of the former A Partnership for National Unity administration, accusing it of concentrating contracts among a small group of major contractors rather than empowering smaller businesses across the country.
Dr Jagdeo said the government’s long-term vision is to build a broader base of local entrepreneurs and contractors who can grow with Guyana’s rapidly expanding economy.
The outreach at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre drew hundreds of citizens despite the poor weather, with many waiting for hours to engage directly with ministers and senior government officials.
Several attendees reportedly received immediate assistance or commitments following face-to-face meetings with Dr Jagdeo and Cabinet members.
The Vice President said the public engagement forms part of the government’s ongoing effort to fulfil campaign promises ahead of the September 2025 General and Regional Elections.
Special attention was given to elderly citizens, people with disabilities and women accompanied by children. At the same time, many young people also attended to seek support for tertiary education, small business development and access to contract opportunities.