GEORGETOWN, GUYANA – The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has pledged to overhaul Guyana’s public procurement system over the next five years, promising reforms that it says will make government spending more transparent, competitive, and accountable. The commitments were unveiled today in the party’s 2025 manifesto.
According to the document, the government plans to further streamline and simplify the bidding process so that more individuals and companies, particularly smaller and emerging contractors, can compete for state contracts. “We will further democratise access to government procurement opportunities, improve both the competitiveness and fairness of the system, facilitate deepening of capacity on the supply side, and improve value for money in government procurement transactions,” the manifesto states.
Procurement has long been a contentious issue in Guyana, where both major political parties have faced criticism over the years about the awarding of contracts and whether taxpayers get full value for money. In recent years, the Public Procurement Commission has called for tighter monitoring and stronger enforcement to address loopholes and to ensure that contracts are awarded on merit rather than political or personal connections.
The PPP/C’s manifesto also outlines a series of measures aimed at combating corruption more broadly. These include strengthening existing laws, establishing a dedicated anti-corruption unit, and expanding the use of technology. The party highlighted blockchain as one tool that could provide greater transparency by creating immutable records of procurement transactions, reducing bureaucracy, and improving efficiency.
The manifesto further pledges to fully enforce the Access to Information Act, a law passed more than a decade ago but which civil society groups argue has not been effectively implemented. Strengthening access to public information, the party notes, is key to building accountability and empowering citizens to monitor how state resources are used.
As the campaign season intensifies, these commitments are expected to spark debate about whether the PPP/C can deliver on its promises, given persistent public concerns about corruption and favoritism in state contracts. With Guyana’s rapidly growing oil revenues increasing government spending, procurement and accountability have become pressing issues that many voters see as directly linked to fairness and equity in the country’s development.
