Govt. bypasses tender board to award powership fuel contract to BB Energy

(Kaieteur News) – The Government of Guyana (GoG) has awarded lucrative fuel supply contracts to BB Energy, a company controlled by Lebanon’s Bassatne family, to supply the two powerships currently helping to keep the country’s electricity grid running, raising questions about transparency and public procurement.

Industry and government sources told this newspaper that the Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) supply contracts were awarded without a public tender, effectively bypassing Guyana’s National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB).

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Only recently, Guyana’s Opposition Leader, Azruddin Mohamed flagged the continuous reliance on powerships by the GoG rather than permanent solutions to the country’s electricity woes. In fact, he questioned whether government officials were benefitting from a “cutback” on the fuel supply deals for the powerships.