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Office supplier protests against GPSS contract
guam:Island
Business Systems and Supplies filed an appeal at the Office of the
Public Auditor earlier this month against the Guam Public School System
regarding the procurement of copiers. On February 7, a procurement
appeal was made from the failure to respond to a protest of method,
solicitation or award. IBSS wants to know whether the largest agency in
the Government of Guam has been properly or improperly procuring
copiers.The local company is the current distributor of canon
imaging and printing solutions. According to IBSS general counsel John
Brown, he would like to know whether other companies could participate
in public bids. He says for years GPSS has been receiving services from
one copier company, Xerox Corporation, without allowing other companies
to participate. “It’s been a black hole for a number of years and we’re
just trying to peer into that black hole to find out how we can take
part in the bidding process for copier equipment,” Brown explained.Brown
says the OPA completed an audit for the General Services Agency for
2003-2004, noting improper procurement practices for a number of
products to include copiers. With that in mind, IBSS continued to look
to seek information on how to get involved with bid practices. Since
2005, the firm has been continue verbal conversations with
then-superintendent of public education Juan Flores and even continues
the dialogue with current superintendent Luis Reyes.Brown says
GPSS assured them they would issue out competitive bids, but never did
so. After following up on their words, IBSS never received responses
from their inquiries. Because of this, IBSS had to protest the lack of
response of proper bidding, and then later sent out a failure to
respond to the protest. This was the last straw and brown felt it was
best to make an appeal to the public auditor.He continued,
“What we hope to come from this is whatever they’ve been doing, if it’s
been right – tell us, show us if it’s right. But they refuse to do that
so far. It really leads to a presumption that it hasn’t been. But that
is a presumption. This is an opportunity to show that it has been done
properly. And if it hasn’t been done properly, terminate it. Start with
a clean slate and let’s go forward with proper procurement.”Meanwhile,
GPSS spokesperson Gerry Cruz says they are currently waiting to receive
direction from the OPA on how the agency should proceed – he does say
GPSS will cooperate. “A lot of documentation has already been given to
the OPA through our office and we’re just waiting for a response from
them to see where we’re going to go with this case…we’re just waiting
direction from the OPA, and that’s where it stands at this point,” he
told KUAM News.
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