Guyana
The Alliance For Change (AFC) on Friday called for the resignation of the government nominees on the procurement commission over their failure to sanction a pump station contract to Tepui Inc and it also called for a restructuring of the national tender board.
The award of the Belle Vue pump station contract to Tepui Inc despite the fact that it had no construction experience with such a project has led to denunciations and the decision of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) on Tuesday not to take decisive action to end the contract has raised serious concerns.
In its defence, the PPC in its Summary of Findings said that it has no powers to terminate a contract that has already been concluded.
During his party’s media conference held virtually, AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan lashed out at the government-appointed commissioners over the $865 million contract.
“The AFC regards the recent majority recommendation of the PPC, after the complaint by its Executive member and Parliamen-tarian Mr David Patterson, as shamelessly objectionable, unfair and yet another knockdown of a guardrail of our fragile democracy”, he declared.
He told the press that all five Commissioners agreed that Tepui had failed on the evaluation criteria.
“Tepui’s bid failed grievously on every evaluation criteria as found unanimously by 5 Com-missioners”, the AFC Leader stated.
Ramjattan said that his party when examining the PPC’s Summary of Findings found it amazing that a bid which did not meet any of the evaluation criteria could have been passed by the Evaluation Committee at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) and given a no-objection by Cabinet.
The party’s leader said “The AFC does not know the names of the members of the Evaluation Commit-tee. However, their names must not be an official secret. The public has a right to know who they are. The AFC is aware that the head of NPTAB is Mr. Tarachand Balgobin, who has a senior advisory role at the Ministry of Finance as Deputy National Authorising Officer and head of its Public Invest-ment Unit. A conflict of interest is most noticeable here. Also, it is well known that Tepui’s owner (Mikhail Rodrigues) is a close friend of Vice President Jagdeo. There is an undoubted conflict of interests and relationships here that mattered more than the merits of the Tepui bid”.
Ramjattan disclosed that the Summary of Findings approved by the PPC was not unanimous. The PPC comprises three commissioner nominated by the government and two by the opposition.
He noted that what added the icing on the cake was when the commission noted that it could not propose any remedial action due to the privity of contract.
“This kind of misconceived `lenience’ ought to have come only from the interested parties who want to see the award go to a friend. It should never have come from a constitutional body which was fought long and hard for to be a check and balance against executive lawlessness in procurement matters”, Ramjattan declared.
He was of the view that the legal device of privity of contract (by the three government-nominated Commissioners Joel Bhagwandin, Rajnarine Singh and Chairperson Pauline Chase) reflects poorly on the trustworthiness of the commission.
Ramjattan said that this is an abdication of the duties by the three commissioners as they are duty- bound in protecting the public purse and preventing the chances of fraud and corruption in procurement matters.
“They abandoned their power under article 212 AA (1)(h) and (i) which provides explicitly that they investigate complaints, and in cases of irregularity and mismanagement and “to propose remedial action”, Ramjattan argued.
“Additionally, to use another device that the complaint was not brought by any competing bidder, but a civic-minded citizen, to deliberately avoid the remedy of voiding the award is an affront to the rule of law. By doing and rationalising as they did, those three Commissioners being so excessively deferential became an arm of the Executive, rather than a check and balance as was intended by the framers of the Constitution. They heeded not the prescription of the Supreme law of the land, but found succour in common law precepts of privity of contract and improper party to legalize illegality”, Ramjattan argued
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Grenada
With the support of the CanadaCaribbean Resilience Facility (CRF) and the Caribbean Regional Resilience Building Facility (CRRBF), Grenada is making progress to ensure the climate resilience of critical infrastructure.
Grenada, like its neighbors in the Caribbean, faces escalating threats from climate change, such as more frequent hurricanes, rising sea levels, coastal erosion, and drought. The risk is compounded by weaknesses in infrastructure, particularly in urban areas. Accordingly, the government of Grenada recognizes that there is a crucial need to construct climate-resilient infrastructure proven to effectively mitigate storm and climate related damages. Two GFDRR-administered initiatives, the Canada-Caribbean Resilience Facility (CRF) and the EU-funded Caribbean Regional Resilience Building Facility (CRRBF), are actively supporting these efforts in Grenada.
The CRF Program has been key to ensuring the resilience of infrastructure investments in Grenada. For instance, with support from CRF, World Bank teams have provided technical assistance to the Government of Grenada to accelerate the implementation and completion of investments included under the World Bank-financed Regional Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project (RDVRP). A civil engineer, financed by the CRF, provided hands-on training to a team of engineers from the government of Grenada on bridge assessment and design. Featuring customized guidance and materials, the training covered various topics such as the inspection of bridges across the island, the prediction of responses to floods, and the design of remedial works. As a result, technical and operational assistance under the CRF advanced the conclusion of infrastructure works under the RDVRP, contributed to procurement procedures, and supported national agencies in charge of implementation. This work has helped ensure the quality of infrastructure funded by the RDVRP.
The CRF also facilitated the Grenada Resilience Improvement Project (GRIP), another World Bank-financed disaster risk management project. This project is focused on critical road and coastal protection infrastructure interventions and technical assistance to reduce landslide risk, strengthen the resilience of cultural heritage buildings, and establish a road assessment management system to bolster the operation and maintenance of critical road infrastructure. The CRF has recruited technical specialists (bridge engineer, coastal engineer, geotechnical specialist, hydraulic expert, road engineer, and a senior in-country operations officer) who provided direct support to the government in the development and implementation of the GRIP. This included the provision of recommendations for infrastructure design and building the capacity within government to put those recommendations into action.
Meanwhile, under the CRRBF, there has been a significant focus on enhancing disaster risk management and reducing vulnerabilities through support from the Improving Urban Resilience of Coastal Cities in the Caribbean through Resilient Infrastructure and Urban Planning Project and the Caribbean Disaster Risk Financing Technical Assistance Program, both financed by the World Bank. For example, a technical team conducted a virtual workshop aimed at strengthening Grenada’s national asset management systems by sharing the experiences and challenges faced by neighboring governments, allowing experts to learn from each other through participative sessions. By providing up-to-date information on the location, classification and condition of public assets, these systems enable better monitoring of these assets, including critical infrastructure. This, in turn, enables officials to better manage disaster and climate risks to those assets.
Targeted capacity building efforts such as those supported by CRRBF and CRF are critical to enabling the systems that oversee the planning, construction, and operation of climateresilient infrastructure in Grenada. In this way, both the CRRBF and CRF have contributed to the long-term resilience of the island nation and helped safeguard its sustainable development.
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British Virgin Islands
The Government of the Virgin Islands is actively seeking a qualified individual to assume the role of Deputy Chairman for the Virgin Islands Recovery and Development Board.
Established under the Virgin Islands Recovery and Development Agency Act 2018 and falling within the purview of the Premier’s Office, the Virgin Islands Recovery and Development Board is tasked with overseeing procurement procedures, developing procurement policies, approving business cases, sanctioning procurement contracts in accordance with established procedures.
Ideal candidates will possess specialized expertise and knowledge in governance, as well as experience in contributing to recovery and sustainable development efforts within the Virgin Islands Recovery and Development Agency.
Applicants must satisfy all eligibility criteria and demonstrate professional competencies, as well as possess a balanced set of skills that align with the mandates and responsibilities of the Virgin Islands Recovery and Development Agency.
Responsibilities will include assisting the Chairman in providing strategic guidance and oversight to the Recovery and Development Board. The Deputy Chairman will also work closely with Board members to devise and implement policies, initiatives, and programmes aimed at supporting the recovery and development objectives of the Virgin Islands.
In addition, the Deputy Chairman will be tasked with presiding over board meetings in the absence of the Chairman and serve as the Board’s representative at external events and engagements, offer leadership and direction to Board committees and and ensure effective communication and coordination among the Board, government agencies, stakeholders, and the public.
The desired attributes are forward-thinking leadership with a steadfast commitment to the long-term development and resilience of the Virgin Islands, and strategic acumen coupled with the ability to analyse complex issues and devise innovative solutions.
Applicants should complete the application form by Thursday, May 16th 2024 and send via email and/or hand deliver along with a cover letter, resume’ or curriculum vitae and submit to:
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Jamaica
member of the debate team that represented the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), Richard Creary, has asserted that there is a “clear” and “transparent” process in awarding contracts at all municipal corporations locally.
Creary was responding to a question from social media at Thursday night’s local government debates on what would be implemented to establish a more transparent process of awarding contracts so that friends of those in authority, or dons, do not receive such contracts.
Creary, the current mayor of Port Maria in St Mary, said each municipal corporation has a procurement committee.
“No councillor chairs that procurement committee, so there is a clear and transparent process in the awarding of contracts,” he declared.
Further, he said a quarterly report has to be submitted to the Integrity Commission on the process surrounding the awarding of contracts.
“… Based on the process, it does not allow for this level of corruption that is being perceived by the public,” said Creary, the JLP’s councillor-candidate for Richmond Division in St Mary South Eastern.
Adding to the response, Senator Charles Sinclair, the JLP’s councillor-candidate for Montego Bay North East in St James, pointed out that advertisements are placed in the Sunday Gleaner, where persons make submissions for contracts.
He said these applicants also have to satisfy certain conditions and satisfy the internal auditors, or Auditor General Pamela Munroe Ellis.
In relation to the latter, Charles said she can step into any municipal corporation to ensure that contracts are awarded in compliance with the respective laws.
“… And now we have the Integrity Commission; they can do the same (as the auditor general) and when we take note that the Integrity Commission Act was passed by the Jamaica Labour Party, we stand firm that there will be no corruption in the awards of contracts and the giving of contracts to dons,” Charles argued.
However, People’s National Party (PNP) councillor-candidate for Maxfield Park Division in St Andrew, Dennis Gordon, was not convinced by those arguments, as well as claims of mismanagement under the past PNP-led Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC), which were leveled by former PNP coucillor-turned-JLP-parochial-candidate, Venesha Phillips.
Gordon alleged that the former personal assistant of a high-ranking official at the KSAMC is now the procurement manager there.
“We have not had consecutive meetings either of the accounts committee or the property’s committee,” he further claimed.
“We, as PNP, will say to the Jamaican people, our accountability, (and) our inclusiveness will ensure you (the citizens) are at the table,” Gordon stated.
The PNP representative also scoffed at claims by the JLP-led KSAMC for launching an internal investigation into the alleged construction breach by National Water Commission President Mark Barnett, and his wife, Annette, relative to an apartment complex.
“I find it a clear mockery,” said Gordon, who also suggested that the Integrity Commission’s report into the matter has not been tabled at the KSAMC.
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Guyana
The Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) administration breached Section 43 of the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act 2003 in 2019 since 228 cheques totalling $131.8 million were prepared for work that was still to be completed.
This information was revealed on Monday, February 12, during the 59th meeting of the Public Accounts Committee on the 2019 Auditor General’s (AG) report.
According to the AG’s report, the Regional Administration breached Section 43 of the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act 2003, which requires that at the end of each fiscal year, any unexpended balance of public monies issued out of the Consolidated Fund shall be returned.
This raised eyebrows of both government and opposition parliamentarians of the Committee, who proceeded to take the current regional official, Dwight John, and other representatives to task for allowing this to be swept under the carpet.
Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, who was visibly frustrated remarked “The cheques were cut for works not completed. The work didn’t do, how the cheques were cut if the work didn’t do.”
Former Regional Executive Officer (REO) Orrin Gordon, in his defence, told the PAC that actions had been taken in response to “situations confronting the administration at the time.”
Gordon explained, “There are some projects which are not going to be rolled over, and once it is not [rolled over], the (maximum) payment has to be made.”
The former REO reasoned that the regional administration opted to have these cheques prepared beforehand so the payments could be made once the work was completed. He also requested that the system of disbursing funds for projects not rolling over be reviewed so that such issues do not reoccur.
However, several committee members including Ganesh Mahipaul, Edghill, and Chairperson Jermaine Figueira, deemed this unacceptable, pointing out that this should not have occurred in the first place.
Mahipaul asserted, “Engineers, you must not subject yourself to instructions that are against the financial laws of this country… you cannot pay for work that is expected to be completed.”
The AG’s report cited that “Audit checks conducted on 20 January, 2020, revealed that there were 228 cheques on hand totalling $131.848 million.”
It added, “These cheques should have been refunded to the Consolidated Fund and the necessary adjustments made to the Appropriation Accounts. As a result, the Appropriation Accounts were overstated by the said amount.”
Further analysis of the cheques showed that the Ministry of Finance (MoF) cut 5,325 cheques totalling $4.425 billion for current and capital expenditure incurred by the Regional Administration.
However, 1,053 cheques totalling $775.817 million or approximately 18% of total expenditure were cut in December 2019 as shown in the table below.
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