Belize
During Friday’s protest in front of the Prime Minister’s Office in Belmopan, the President of the Public Service Union, Dean Flowers called for the removal of the auditor general. He contends that an audit of the Department of Lands and the procurement process within the Ministry of Health and Wellness are long overdue.
Dean Flowers, President, P.S.U.
“I have said to this nation, the Auditor General Ms. Dorothy Bradley must go. We have been asking since 2010 for an audit of the lands department. We can’t get that audit which was done by officers in the audit department. We would have been able to uncover by successive governments the corruption that has been occurring in the lands department from king hatchet was a hammer. Yet this administration refuse to commission and audit of the lands department and Dorothy Bradley refuse to do it. And I am saying to all our partners, the U.S. Embassy, the British, all of them I understand supported her reinstallation. She needs to go. She is doing the people of Belize a disservice and I am calling on the prime minister if unu serious, commission and audit of the lands department. Commission an audit of procurement in the ministry of health. We need an audit of procurement in the ministry of health. We need an audit to understand how the money the spend in health. These are the ministries with the biggest budgets.”
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Belize
In January, we heard the Chief Engineer Evondale Moody describe how much infrastructural work the court building that once housed the Treasury Department underwent. Moody also spoke of the level of intervention that the other court building that faces the Battlefield Park also needs to undergo. Well, the construction of a brand new court complex will get underway next to the Eleanor Hall Finance Building on Chetumal Street, as soon as the procurement of funds and the design of the building are done.
Chris Coye, Minister of State, Finance
“I think that’s in its final stages with the Social Security Board. So far as I understand, the transaction documents as it relates to the equity subscription by Social Security. Those have been approved by the board and so the next, I believe the next step is towards concluding those. I believe if I recall correctly was around $50 million. It was contemplated [that] two additional structures similar to the existing one – the existing finance building – so it would be about a hundred thousand square feet additional space that would then consolidate, the government offices. One building would be used for the judiciary, so the judiciary will have a new home that includes the different levels of the judiciary. So that would have to be more customized. And then the second building would be for other government facilities.”
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Guyana
In the wake of Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha’s July meeting with the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Chairman Lionel Wordsworth has yet to provide a promised update on the status of documentation required by the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) on the Belle Vue Pump Station project.
Wordsworth, who spoke with Stabroek News (SN) yesterday, said that he first needs to “update” himself before he can offer any new information on the matter. The last communication from Wordsworth had assured an update by August 26, 2024, but no new details have been forthcoming.
The PPC has confirmed to SN that the NDIA has still not submitted the necessary documentation. This issue stems from a controversial contract awarded to Tepui Inc. for the Belle Vue pump station, which has faced scrutiny over the violations of procurement guidelines. Mustapha had previously promised to address the situation and ensure the NDIA’s compliance with documentation requirements.
On July 17th, Wordsworth had informed SN that the NDIA was in the process of reviewing its response to the PPC’s inquiries. However, despite the PPC’s April 16, 2024 Summary of Findings highlighting deficiencies in the bid evaluation process and recommending close monitoring—and potential termination—of Tepui’s contract, the NDIA has yet to act on these recommendations.
The PPC said “…on the entry into a contract, privity of contract issues arise. There is nothing within the statutory framework which permits the commission to revoke, rescind, recall and or in any way alter, suspend or stop the contract once entered”.
The award of the $865m Belle Vue Pump Station to Tepui Inc had raised questions from the outset as its key principal, Mikhail Rodrigues was not involved in construction.
In its 35-page summary of April 16, 2024, the PPC elicited answers from the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) – whose evaluation committee made the choice of Tepui – and the procuring agency, the NDIA. Not only were both tardy in answering the PPC, they only provided some of the documents requested.
Tepui was required to have had the experience of having completed one project of a similar nature within the past five years. Similar projects “shall include pump stations, sluices and drainage structures”. Having been incorporated less than a year before, Tepui did not have these qualifications, yet the evaluation committee of the NPTAB found its bid to be responsive.
When the PPC asked the NPTAB and the NDIA to justify their decision, they cited what they described as similar-type of works which Tepui had done for other clients. They also admitted that two other tenderers for pump stations were similarly not qualified but that “lenience” was showed.
The summary of findings said that Tepui itself submitted as part of its tender, a letter addressed to the NDIA and dated June 13th, 2023, under the hand of “Winston Martindale, Director” captioned “Record of Past Work Experience” in which it is stated – “Our company was registered in August 2022 and has now commenced the process of bidding for projects, hence we do not have any past work experience but our team of personnel have years of experience under upgrading and rehabilitation of roads as indicated on their respective resumes.”
Tepui also did not provide a bank line of credit. It provided a line of credit issued by Puran Bros. Later, a letter of credit issued by Caricom General Insurance Company also appeared but this also was ineligible.
Tepui did not submit – as required – an audited financial statement as it was not in existence for a year.
In terms of equipment requirements, Tepui, the summary of findings said, did not show evidence of three pieces of equipment.
It also fell short of its bid security requirement.
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Jamaica
Residents of St. James are to benefit from the construction of four additional health centres in the parish.
The project, to be funded by the National Health Fund (NHF) at a cost of $500 million, will see centres being built in Farm Heights, Norwood, Maroon Town and New Hampton, beginning January 2025.
This was disclosed by Parish Manager for the St. James Health Department, Lennox Wallace, during the St. James Municipal Corporation’s recent monthly meeting.
He further advised that repairs are slated to be carried out on existing health centres in the parish, where needed, to better serve the public.
Among these, Mr. Wallace said is the Mafoota Health Centre, which he indicated “will receive much needed work”, adding that, “we have been through the procurement process already, and the work will start in January.”
The Parish Manager further informed that supplementary repairs will be undertaken at health facilities serving Green Pond, Glendevon, Somerton, Mount Carey, Garland and Lottery.
“Work is currently being done at the Green Pond Health Centre [and] will include an additional five rooms… [and] a pharmacy,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the St. James Type V Health Centre is to be expanded, as it continues to serve as the parish’s health centre hub.
Mr. Wallace said purchasing agreements for the neighbouring Montego Bay Ice Factory are almost complete, as they prepare to facilitate a five-floor administrative building on that property.
The upgrades in the region will also include increased staff across health centres, and a 12-midnight closing time for the Catherine Hall Health Centre.
“There are certain days that you have to go to the health centre to see a doctor… but people don’t plan to get sick. So, the Ministry has created a course for us to employ doctors and nurses. So, any day that you go to a facility, you should be able to see a doctor without delay,” Mr. Wallace pointed out.
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United States Virgin Islands
With a portfolio exceeding $1.2 billion in insured government property, DPP faces significant challenges in asset management, collections, fiscal control, and procurement due to understaffing and recent resignations
Like several other departments and agencies within central government, the Department of Property and Procurement is facing critical staff shortages as it prepares for the new fiscal year.
“Our budget request supports the filling of 10 new and vacant positions,” explained Commissioner Lisa Alejandro, as she defended an operating budget request of $20,850,998.
The department’s vacancies include a position for a program manager, who DPP expects will “be instrumental in improving operations in the fiscal unit, which is currently understaffed.” It’s a move that will bring DPP closer to improving unit productivity, Commissioner Alejandro told lawmakers during Thursday’s meeting of the Senate Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance. Hiring new staff is crucial, as DPP lost 8 employees in the current fiscal year – two retirements, one dismissal and five resignations.
Understaffing is also impacting the asset management unit, described by Ms. Alejandro as the “cornerstone of our operation.” The unit oversees the acquisition, use, control and protection, maintenance, inventory and disposal of all fixed assets owned by the Government of the Virgin Islands. “Because of the small team of four employees, and historically, lack of resources, the unit has been unable to undertake its full responsibilities,” the commissioner told legislators.
The Department of Property and Procurement currently manages a portfolio of insured government-owned property that exceeds $1.2 billion. On rental properties, the DPP has collected $3.5 million of $4.4 million owed in FY2024. With only one month left in the fiscal year, lawmakers wondered whether the department will be able to complete collections — including outstanding balances from delinquent tenants.
Again, the realities of inadequate staff were brought to the fore. The fiscal division that holds that responsibility “is really understaffed,” explained Ms. Alejandro. “We had one employee that was pushing collections …[so] we have seen an increase since that time. “However, again, the shortages in staff severely impacted our ability to keep that momentum going.”
There are three vacancies within that unit, including a fiscal control officer and administrative assistant. The last administrator retired after 33 years of service at the department, while the financial officer has resigned. “We are in the process with OMB of bringing on one of the GVI Fellows. He shadowed the now-departed financial control officer, “so he has a lot of knowledge in reconciling and assisting with the budget,” Ms. Alejandro noted. The Fellow, described as an “asset,” may join the staff complement by mid-September.
Other divisions stymied by staffing difficulties include the procurement department where a senior contract administrator is needed. In the property division, DPP is seeking a property inspector and is working to replace their legal advisor as well.
While the Department of Property and Procurement continues to work with its partners to fill crucial vacancies, Commissioner Alejandro says they are “exploring the use of artificial intelligence to improve efficiency by automating simple tasks, leaving more complex and creative tasks to our employees.”
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