HEADS must roll over the failed leasing of a passenger ferry for the domestic seabridge, said Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan, replying to reporters’ queries at a function at the Caroni Licensing Office yesterday.
Newsday asked Sinanan if the term “crookedness” adopted by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, at a press conference after a meeting with Tobago stakeholders on Monday, was too strong.
At the launch yesterday of the Heavy-T inspection bay at the Frederick Settlement, Caroni, licensing office, Sinanan declined weighing in on the comment saying, “The prime minister will use whatever language he thinks is appropriate. All I can say is that I welcome the investigation and I think the population needs to know exactly what went on.” Asked whether Rowley’s view, that there was crookedness involved in the procurement process for the Ocean Flower II, was an indictment on him (Sinanan) as the line minister, he said, “I don’t think so. I think the report that has been asked for will indicate exactly where– if you want to use the word–the ‘crookedness’ has taken place.
Once the facts show that there was crookedness, I think heads should roll.
“And if there is an indictment on the minister, then I think the minister’s head should roll. If it is on the board, then the board should roll. And if it is at the management, then the management needs to be accountable.
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Former transport minister Devant Maharaj is calling on the Integrity Commission to investigate the procurement process by the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (PATT) for the inter-island ferry services between Trinidad and Tobago.
Speaking to the Express, Maharaj said the entire procurement process of the Cabo Star and the Ocean Flower 2 is “shrouded in secrecy and mystery, and the Port Authority has failed in providing the population with reasonably plausible explanations. Given the fact that this contract is over $100 million for a year, the commission must see the national importance of it”.
In a letter to the commission’s chairman, Justice Zainool Hosein, Maharaj said after having reviewed the information surrounding the provision of the ferry services for both the cargo and passenger vessels (the Cabo Star and the Ocean Flower 2), the commission must now use its investigative powers regarding the acquisition of the vessels.
Maharaj is claiming there were unsolicited proposals made by Bridgeman Services LP to the Port Authority regarding the lease of the vessels for the inter-ferry service, and questioned why the procurement guidelines of the Central Tenders Board were not followed as was done with the Super-Fast Galicia.
The Cabo Star and the Ocean Flower 2 were both chartered by Bridgeman Trinidad Services LP.
“June 26, four days before the PATT announced it had contracted the services of Bridgeman Trinidad Services LP, Bridgeman Trinidad Services LP purchased the Ocean Flower 2 from its previous owner, DAE Express Shipping Company Ltd. Essentially this meant to any reasonable person that Bridgeman sent an unsolicited proposal to the PATT to consider without having a vessel in its fleet.
“June 30, Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan and Port Authority chairman Alison Lewis, at a press conference at the Ministry of Works on Richmond Street, stated that Government has given the Port Authority of T&T (PATT) approval to lease two vessels, Cabo Star, and the passenger boat, Ocean Flower, to service the sea bridge between Trinidad and Tobago. The contract was awarded by the PATT via an unsolicited proposal from Bridgeman Services LP. Why did the PATT not adhere to the procurement guidelines of the Central Tenders Board as was done with the Super-Fast Galicia?” the letter stated.
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“With the internet of things, 5G, robotics and artificial intelligence being a big part of what is happening, the world is fundamentally different today. If TSTT is to achieve our vision to provide solutions to help consumers and businesses achieve their lifestyle and business goals, then TSTT has to become an agile broadband telecommunications company. To carry out this mission, we have to change our processes and improve our vendor relations, hence your presence here today. We want to partner with you to create this new world order. There is a lot for us to discuss.”
These were the words of Dr Ronald Walcott, TSTT’s Chief Executive Officer, as he addressed dozens of the company’s local and international vendors during TSTT’s first annual Vendors’ Forum on February 7, 2017 at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad.
Gerry Brooks, Chairman of TSTT’s Tenders Committee, also delivered greetings on behalf of TSTT’s Chairman, Emile Elias to the 150 vendors, and other guests including Lisa Phillips, Ag Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and Vashti Shrikrisensingh Jitman, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Utilities.
Brooks explained that the vendor forum will help TSTT become a more focused agile broadband company and there was a new opportunity for a very exciting and collaborative future for vendors and TSTT.
“TSTT sees vendors as strategic partners and we are opening up all of our opportunities to everyone,” said Brooks and he encouraged the audience to “support local development, support innovation, support private-public sector partnerships but most of all support TSTT because when TSTT wins, you (vendors) win and the customers win.”
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St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN): In response to the question if there was a bidding process for certain capital projects such as the new Basseterre High School, the second cruise pier and National Heroes Park, Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris said the government has followed all of the rules relating to procurement.
“With regard to the contracts for capital projects all the rules related to the procurement, have been followed by this administration and will always be followed by this administration. We have always, for the record, have tendering and invited more than one persons. Indeed the Financial Secretary and the Deputy Financial Secretary would say, we often ask for at least three tenders particularly if the capital project is of any magnitude and this is in the DNA of the government, that wherever public monies are to be spent we are assured that we are getting value for money and where persons are given contracts and they fail to perform those contracts would be aborted, that is the norm.”
The Prime Minister said a Committee comprised of competent persons from the private and public sectors is responsible for making recommendations as to who will be awarded government contracts.
“In fact we have a committee that basically makes recommendations in relation to any work assignment, a committee comprising of persons from the private sector, persons from public works, persons from the office of the Prime Minister under whose remit that that matter basically falls and they relate to the relevant people in the Ministry of Finance, so everything is open book.”
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Dear Editor,
This writer has been involved with tendering for security contracts for over 38 years. I have seen a lot of ugliness in this process. However, I wish to state that in recent years things seem to have taken a dip for the worse and this gives a negative image to the government of the day. In fairness, I do not believe that the government encourages corruption or is involved in the deceit that preponderates in the system of tender awards. At the same time, anyone can see that the award of tenders usually involves favouritism, nepotism and even corruption. Of course, I also observed this practice during the term of the previous government as well.
Being a businessman who is involved in the security industry, I can comment on the hardships faced when tendering for security contracts. However, I believe this is a common phenomenon in other industries as well. Sadly, it does not only happen with ministerial tenders, but also with those involving the regions, institutions, corporations, government agencies and government commissions. As I have continuously stated, I have no political axe to grind. As a patriot, all I desire is good governance from whoever is elected.
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Image: Svante Adermark (flickr)
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