Small Contractors to Get 20 Percent of all Government Contracts: Harmon Announces

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Joseph Harmon

GEORGETOWN, Guyana – The government is working out a system that will allow small contractors in Guyana to benefit from at least 20 per cent of government contracts, according to Minister of State Joseph Harmon.

He reported that the David Granger administration is revising the preconditions of the laws governing contracts to ensure that small operators in various areas of service are also included.

Harmon made the comments at a recent community meeting in Linden as he addressed the complaint of a resident of the mining town who said he had spent millions of dollars tendering for contracts but was never able to qualify.

Minister Harmon said a number of issues might have contributed to that, but acknowledged that giving government work to small businesses was important.

“This is something that we are working on seriously,” he said, noting that there is no standard by which one can judge how a small contractor can get the 20 per cent.

Harmon said several proposals have been made on this matter, and he alluded to the system in Jamaica which requires big contractors to show in their tendering that they are also accommodating small businesses.

Minister Harmon said he has already met with the small contractors’ association and assured them of government’s work towards bringing fairness in this regard.
However, he stressed that for these small contractors to benefit, they must register their businesses.

“Small contractors, that is part of the law, and we are going to try to ensure that you get your 20 per cent share of the contract of what takes place,” the Minister of State said. – CMC