Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) on Tuesday categorically rejected allegations that it had engaged in, facilitated or condoned corrupt practices in awarding several national water infrastructure projects, saying the claims were false and undermined the work of the engineers and officials involved.
The corporation said the contract for three large water treatment plants, known as Lot 3, was awarded through international competitive bidding that attracted nine bidders. Sigma Engineers Ltd. won with a bid of about $3.6 billion, ahead of eight other bids ranging from $3.9 billion to $7 billion, GWI said. Lots 2 and 3, each comprising two treatment plants, went to Mexico’s Hi-Pro Ecologicos SA and Japan’s Toshiba Water Solutions.
GWI said the Hope Surface Water Treatment Plant was similarly tendered internationally, with Sigma Engineers submitting the lowest price among five responsive bidders out of six. A sixth bidder was deemed non-responsive for lacking experience building large water treatment plants, it said.
The drilling of four wells at Friendship, Westminster, Shelterbelt and Melanie Damishana attracted 10 bidders, with Sigma Engineers submitting the lowest responsive bid of $411.6 million against rivals ranging from $454.5 million to $782 million, GWI said.
For the Shelterbelt plant rehabilitation, GWI said another bidder had offered a marginally lower price but was found to lack the experience required for a project of that complexity, leaving Sigma Engineers as the best evaluated bidder.
Under the Caribbean Development Bank’s Water Supply Improvement Programme, Sigma Engineers was awarded Lot 2 to build plants at Leguan and Wakenaam, while India’s Action Constructions and Equipment secured Lots 1 and 3, GWI said.
The corporation said all contracts were administered by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board in keeping with Guyana’s Procurement Act, with data published through recorded minutes for public review.
