Trinidad and Tobago
THA Minority Leader Kelvon Morris claims he has documentary evidence of irregularities in the procurement of ambulances for Tobago’s health sector.
“Mr Deputy Presiding Officer (Niall George), I wave in my hands a 20-page witness statement with over 18 points of documentary evidence to validate that there were, in fact, irregularities in the procurement of those not working, dysfunctional ambulances that is a shame and a stain on this current administration,” he said during a sitting in the Assembly Legislature, Scarborough, on November 6.
Morris was presenting a private motion calling on Chief Secretary Farley Augustine to acknowledge that the rejection of the 6.8 per cent budget allocation that the former PNM government had offered in the Tobago autonomy bills was detrimental to the island’s economic development and social well-being.
He claimed over $25 million has been spent on ambulances for Tobago “and up to today, Tobagonians cannot ride properly in those ambulances.”
He added, “Two came to Tobago for (October) carnival and two went back. So we are now leasing again four ambulances from a Trinidad supplier. And if that is not the epitome and the real value of how this administration has failed, that ‘ambulance gate’ is a testament to the greatest procurement scandal in the history of the THA.”
Contacted by Newsday for a response to Morris’ claim, Secretary of Health, Wellness and Social Protection Dr Faith Brebnor would only say, “I responded to the Minority Leader in the House last sitting.”
In June, Morris called for Brebnor’s resignation amid concerns over the procurement of the new ambulances.
He later posted a social media video of himself dropping off a file to the Anti-Corruption and Investigative Bureau (ACIB) calling for an investigation into the procurement of the ambulances.
On that occasion, Morris said, “No amount of bullying, no amount of scare-mongering will deter me from unearthing the truth in this matter.”
Morris said he met with ACIB officers and was given the assurance that the matter would be thoroughly investigated.
“As a Tobagonian, I think we all can be happy that at least a full and thorough independent lawful investigation will be conducted into the procurement of these ambulances.”
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United States Virgin Islands
A federal judge Monday granted a preliminary injunction sought by environmental engineering and consulting firm Gandee and Associates, which alleged a series of procurement policy violations, conflicts of interest and “grossly inflated” contracts awarded by the V.I. Housing Finance Authority.
The firm filed its civil complaint against the VIHFA and two of the agency’s top executives in June, claiming that VIHFA arbitrarily rescinded seven contract awards after Gandee pointed out differences between the scope of work described in contract documents and the agency’s request for qualifications. Molloy wrote in a blistering opinion filed this week that when Gandee attempted to communicate the discrepancies to VIHFA, “the message rang flat.”
“It was distorted, disputed, ignored, and refuted, as it traveled up the ranks and across procurement, contracting, and legal departments at VIHFA — finally culminating in the instant federal lawsuit that could easily have been averted had VIHFA simply adhered to its own published policies and procedures,” he wrote. “Instead, VIHFA appears to have doubled down in a brazen display of disregard for its duty to the public.”
Gandee responded to two requests for qualification VIHFA issued in 2024 but was not invited to bid on the first batch of contracts. According to court documents, at least five of those were awarded to Tysam Tech. Gandee alleged that a conflict of interest existed because VIHFA’s former senior environmental manager, Kyora Veira, began working for the rival bidder three days after leaving the agency in May 2024. Molloy acknowledged the evidence Gandee presented but wrote that the point was moot because nearly all of the work under that RFQ had been completed.
After responding to a second RFQ in 2024, Gandee bid on eight more environmental assessment projects and was awarded seven. Those were later rescinded when the firm noted irregularities in the scope of work described in the contracts. Despite attempts to protest the agency’s rescissions, “G&A was never afforded a hearing, much less a rational conversation, before or after VIHFA rescinded its contracts,” Molloy noted.
“Unfortunately, and somewhat incredulously, VIHFA flatly refused to correct the contracts. The Court finds this extremely baffling,” Molloy wrote, adding that agency employees called to testify in August quickly acknowledged the discrepancies. “It is unclear why VIHFA curtly dismissed G&A’s concerns with this glaring inconsistency and did not afford it the attention it deserved.”
Molloy found that termination provisions outlined in the contract “significantly constrained” the agency’s discretion to rescind them except in cases of contractor default, insufficient federal funding or noncompliance with federal guidelines.
“Not one of the awarded contracts permitted termination simply for VIHFA’s convenience and VIHFA did not offer justifiable cause for rescinding any of G&A’s awards,” he wrote.
At least one of the contracts VIHFA clawed back was awarded to Tysam Tech, whose bid came in nearly 500% higher than Gandee’s. According to a letter of non-award the Ohio company received, Gandee was not selected for the eighth project because it was “not the lowest responsive bidder.” That project, for work at Sejah Farm, was awarded to Tysam Tech for $35,255. Gandee bid $11,000. Molloy wrote that there “is reason to believe that public funds may be saved by a reevaluation of the awards” and that in “more than one instance, VIHFA failed to adhere to its own rules.”
Molloy wrote that “the record strongly suggests a violation of duty has occurred, and it unfolded like the ‘Emperor’s New Clothes’ — the bare truth was laid out but no one at VIHFA spoke up.”
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Trinidad and Tobago
THE Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA) has launched an investigation into the procurement of a number of ambulances for Tobago people.
Contacted for comment yesterday, the TRHA confirmed it has launched a probe. The ambulances were procured for use by the TRHA and the Division of Health. The probe comes as a result of some ambulances en route to the Roxborough Hospital stalling with patients aboard; this caused the procurement process to be called into question.
Tobago House of Assembly minority leader Kelvon Morris has labelled the issue “AmbulanceGate”, claiming it was a brazen scandal, financial recklessness, administrative deception, and possible criminal misconduct demanding urgent investigation. He called it the “greatest procurement betrayal” of Tobago people. He also called on the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Health Secretary Dr Faith Brebnor to resign.
“I am calling for the immediate resignation of the Secretary of Health on this matter where $12 million in cost overruns procuring ambulances after two years. We are in 2025…contract awarded in 2023 and up to now we cannot see in rotation one of those ambulances; and the one that they attempted to put into rotation could not even power up a hill,” Morris said yesterday during a news conference in Scarborough.
In 2023, the TRHA awarded a contract for the supply and delivery of ambulances under Tender No PMT01-2022. The contract was awarded to Biomedical Technologies Limited for over $5,535,000. The procurement was for a specific type of ambulance—reportedly Isuzu models—known to be reliable and fit for Tobago’s terrain.
Despite the award being made in July 2023, the first batch of ambulances was not delivered until October 2024, some 15 months later.
The final cost ballooned to over $16 million, with delivery and associated costs escalating the total to more than $17 million.
Morris has since written to the Anti-Corruption Investigations Bureau about the matter. “So, on this matter, based on some evidence I have of impropriety and malfeasance, I have penned a letter to the Anti-Corruption Investigations Bureau and I have also copied our acting Commissioner of Police Junior Benjamin requesting a criminal investigation into the TRHA ambulance procurement scandal dubbed AmbulanceGate,” he said.
Morris said millions have been paid to the supplier, yet operating standards are not at optimum in Tobago.
During the 37th Sitting of the Assembly on January 23, Brebnor said the supplier was paid a total of $8.035 million to date and this represented approximately 50% of the total cost of $16.605 million for the 12 units that were ordered.
“Yet, we have paid already and perhaps we have paid more since that time…$8 million of the $16.65 million, and the question we all have to ask ourselves is: why, after millions were sent to the supplier for ambulances for the TRHA, when the ambulances arrived they had to be returned to be retrofitted, costing taxpayers even more monies?
“The ambulances that came into the country were not fit for purpose. It meant that the supplier had to go and do further adjustments; and in doing the further adjustments, that cost you, the taxpayer, further expenditure. So, whereas the ambulance was originally $1.295 million, they had to make further adjustments [so] that you had an additional $244,000,” Brebnor said then.
Contacted yesterday for comment, the TRHA’s communications unit responded saying, “The matter is currently under investigation and, as such, the Secretary has no comment at this time.”
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Jamaica
MINISTER of Finance Fayval Williams has lauded the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) for what she described as its “five years of outstanding service to Jamaica”.
Addressing congregants at a church service to mark the start of the PPC’s fifth anniversary celebration, Williams praised the commission for its high quality service delivery and professionalism which, she said, have “pushed the boundaries and raised the bar on what efficient and transparent public procurement can look like”.
The PPC, which overseas and regulates the public procurement process in Jamaica, launched its fifth anniversary celebrations during a service at Celebration Church in Portmore, St Catherine.
In her address, Williams argued that, “the PPC is testament to what is possible when purpose and professionalism align”.
Noting the PPC’s efficiencies, especially its one-week processing time of supplier registration as well as procurement reviews; Williams credited the PPC for, “setting a new pace in performance and productivity”.
She said this efficient processing time by the PPC is particularly remarkable, in the context where Jamaica’s procurement legislation allows for 60 days (eight weeks) for the processing of an application for PPC registration/renewal of registration.
The PPC’s year-long, fifth anniversary celebrations are being held under the theme, ‘Celebrating Excellence! Strengthening Partnerships’.
Speaking at the church service, Nadia Morris, PPC executive director, pointed out that over the past five years the entity has pursued operational excellence.
Among the PPC accomplishments she cited were the attaining and retaining of ISO 9001:2015 Certification; introduction of the online portal for the Supplier Registration System (SRS) which gives Jamaicans 24/7 access to applications for PPC registration; a significant increase in PPC supplier registration; and the doubling of the Validity Period for PPC Certificates.
“In the last financial year, we recorded a 10 per cent increase in supplier registrations, signalling a growing awareness and confidence among Jamaicans in public procurement as a viable economic opportunity,” Morris highlighted.
“On April 1, 2025, we doubled the validity period of PPC certificates from 18 months to three years — making it easier for businesses to remain compliant and eligible for public contracts. As a direct result, supplier registrations increased by 250 per cent in April 2025, compared to April 2024,” she said.
The PPC executive director argued that it is helping to fuel national development through the review of public procurement recommendations for award submissions.
In 2024, the PPC implemented the Procurement Endorsement Database Management System (PEDMS) — an innovative software that enables real-time tracking of procurement submissions from government entities.
According to Morris, the results have been impressive.
“In the financial year 2023-2024, the PPC reviewed 594 contracts valued at $78.68 billion, and with PEDMS that review process caused a leap in the procurement review process to 694 submissions, valued at $154.63 billion, during financial year 2024–2025,” said Morris.
She attributed the “first-rate” achievement of the PPC to the unshakable dedication of its staff.
“Each milestone we have achieved was made possible because of your hard work and unwavering belief in our mission. Thank you for growing with the commission, and serving with distinction,” said Morris.
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Bahamas
NASSAU, BAHAMAS- A Supreme Court judge has ordered the disclosure of the evaluation report tied to a disputed Bahamas Post Office contract after a local technology firm that won the $1.323 million bid challenged the transparency of the procurement process, alleging it was prevented from fulfilling its contract award.
Ronnie Ferguson, trading as Sunrise Communications, had submitted a bid to provide services for the digitisation of the Post Office. His $1.323 million proposal was accepted and a formal notice of award published; however, the defendants — The Bahamas Post Office, The Postmaster General, Gaynell Rolle (in her capacity as Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Energy), and The Attorney General — contend that the award was issued in error.
Justice Leif Farquharson, in his October 15 decision, noted: “The Defence in some respects appears to be internally inconsistent. Nevertheless, the Defendants admit that a public notice was issued confirming that the Claimant had been awarded a contract as alleged; however, they aver that this was done in error.”
The judge pointed out that key procurement records had been omitted from the defendants’ initial disclosures, despite statutory obligations under the Public Procurement Act, 2021.
“In the circumstances, and having also considered the criteria in CPR 28.6, I am prepared to order disclosure of the evaluation report required to be kept pursuant to Section 86(2)(i) of the Act,” Justice Farquharson stated. “Such disclosure is only to relate to the Claimant and his bid… If the evaluation report prepared in relation to the Claimant’s bid identifies any third-party bidders, the information in regard to such third parties may be redacted accordingly.”
The dispute stems from a $1.323 million contract to digitise the Bahamas Post Office’s services, which Sunrise Communications says it rightfully won after two competitive tenders.
In its statement of claim filed on November 23, 2023, Sunrise alleges that the Post Office and the Ministry of Transport and Energy failed to perform the requisite steps under the Public Procurement Act for the contract to be executed and awarded, even after its win was publicly confirmed. The company claimed that while no formal cancellation or suspension notice was ever issued, the Post Office began entertaining rival bids for the same scope of work.
Sunrise, whose award was among the $140 million in public procurement contracts unveiled by the Ministry of Finance in October 2023, filed suit seeking damages for economic loss. The company argues that it “had a legitimate expectation” that a formal written contract would follow its selection and publication on the government’s Go Bonfire procurement portal.
Despite winning both tender rounds, Ferguson claimed the project was “stalled” after April 28, 2023, when the award was published.
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