The Rot at the National Stadium

BY: Hem Kumar 

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣

Allegations now surfacing about the distribution of contracts at the National Stadium strike at the very core of fairness, governance, and public trust in Guyana. The We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, led by Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, has sounded the alarm—but what is most troubling is that these claims do not exist in isolation. They fit into a long, uncomfortable pattern.

At the heart of the issue is a familiar accusation: that state contracts are being funnelled to loyalists of the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP), while ordinary contractors—many already battling economic hardship—are left on the outside looking in. If true, this is not merely political patronage. It is the systematic exclusion of citizens from opportunities funded by their own tax dollars.

This is not how a functioning democracy allocates resources.

The Procurement Act of 2003 was designed to prevent precisely this kind of abuse. It was meant to guarantee transparency, competition, and fairness. Yet, more than two decades later, confidence in the system is eroding, not strengthening. The persistent complaints from contractors and civil society suggest that the law exists more on paper than in practice.

There are growing concerns that procurement procedures are being manipulated—whether through sole-sourcing, restricted tendering, or opaque evaluation processes that raise more questions than answers. When contracts repeatedly land in the hands of the politically connected, merit becomes irrelevant and public confidence collapses.

And where, one must ask, are the watchdogs?

The National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) and the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) were established to act as safeguards against precisely this kind of misconduct. Yet the perception—fair or not—is that oversight is either weak, selective, or entirely absent. Silence in the face of mounting allegations only deepens suspicion.

This is bigger than one stadium. It is about whether Guyana’s development is being built on competence or cronyism.

Small contractors across the country are watching. They are working, struggling, and competing—only to feel that the game is rigged before it even begins. When access to opportunity depends on political allegiance rather than qualification, the message to citizens is clear: loyalty matters more than legitimacy.

That is a dangerous message for any nation.

The government must understand that transparency is not optional—it is a duty. If the procurement system is clean, then open it. Publish the contracts. Disclose the evaluation criteria. Let the public see who is winning, and why. If everything is above board, there should be nothing to hide.
But if it is not, then what is unfolding at the National Stadium is not just mismanagement—it is a betrayal of public trust.

Guyana cannot afford a system where national resources are treated as political rewards. Development must belong to all, not a privileged few. Until that principle is upheld—not in words, but in action—the questions will not go away.

They will only get louder.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 592 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣-𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝 , 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮,𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙄𝙣𝙂𝙪𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨.— ✦—