Jamaica
Raymond McIntyre, chairman of the Public Procurement Commission, recused himself from deliberations involving the ZDA contract issues, the commission said.
The Cabinet last year approved a $15-billion emergency contract to a Chinese firm for the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH) rehabilitation project despite Jamaica’s chief procurement agency saying the health ministry led an “irregular” process.
But the ministry has strongly rejected the Public Procurement Commission’s (PPC) assertion, insisting that the contract to ZDA Construction Limited was awarded in accordance with the country’s procurement laws and guidelines.
The concerns link the ministry allegedly bypassing the PPC to get Cabinet’s approval to enter into direct contracting. That method meant that the multibillion-dollar contract was not subject to a competitive process.
There are also questions of why the ministry later asked the PPC for its endorsement on a process already approved by the Cabinet, and why the Cabinet did not get the PPC’s position first, as it did in many previous cases.
It is the latest development in the saga of the restoration of the primary healthcare facility in western Jamaica. It started in 2016 with concerns about noxious fumes, followed by the relocation of services, shifting deadlines, ballooning budgets, and problems with contractors.
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Saint Lucia
The Caribbean Development Bank, (CBD) in collaboration with the InterAmerican Bank, (IDB) on Thursday, February 8, 2024, launched a US$5.22 million project aimed at increasing the capacity of the public health care system in Saint Lucia to respond to current and emergent health security threats.
The initiative was devised to address gaps in Saint Lucia’s health service capacity which became apparent as the country tackled the COVID-19 pandemic. The interventions are focused on improving surveillance, case detection, and monitoring capabilities within the health system which will reduce the transmission of illnesses. The project will also facilitate procurement of protective equipment and other health resources for medical personnel which will improve health service delivery.
CDB’s Director of Projects, Mrs Therese Turner-Jones commended the Government and People of Saint Lucia for efforts to bolster the country’s health sector post-COVID-19.
“We look forward to collaborative efforts to ensure that these projects are delivered effectively and efficiently, and we will work with stakeholders to ensure that we are on the same page. In this way, we will achieve development outcomes that will bolster Saint Lucia’s resilience,” Mrs Turner-Jones said.
The project financing was provided under the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) COVID-19 Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Line of Credit. Inter-American Development Bank, Chief of Operations, Country Department – Barbados, Mr. Jean-Eric Steinhardt, expressed pleasure at the partnership.
“Congratulations to the Government of Saint Lucia for embarking on this project. We at the IDB, now more than ever, are pleased to partner with you to finance initiatives that deliver more effective results for the communities that are meant to benefit. This is the essence of our mission to improve lives,” said Mr. Steinhardt.
Saint Lucia’s Minister for Health, Wellness & Elderly Affairs, the Hon. Moses Jn. Baptiste said the project activities would contribute to health sector reform in Saint Lucia.
“Health sector reform in Saint Lucia will focus on continuing to increase the quality of health care on every level and doing it in a way that benefits those who benefit. We know that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s going to be even more challenging and whatever we do we must be ready for the next pandemic,” said Mr Jn. Baptiste.
The CDB launched several youth and health-related projects in Saint Lucia last week aimed at building resilience in the country’s social sector.
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Jamaica
Government Senator, Abka Fitz-Henley, has reiterated that the Government has taken steps to address the vexed issue of fixed-term contracts within the public sector.
“Only a few weeks ago, a senior executive of the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions commended the Administration for moving more than 10,000 workers from contractual arrangements to permanent employment,” Senator Fitz-Henley said.
“Additionally, in October last year, the Government was able to announce 927 new permanent posts in the public sector for medical practitioners, thereby eliminating the archaic and counterproductive practice of employing doctors on contracts without them being assigned to a post,” he added.
Senator Fitz-Henley was closing the State of the Nation debate in the Senate on February 2.
He also informed that Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, has indicated publicly that the Government intends to come down hard on public-sector entities that indulge in the practice of unfair contract employment, breaching the country’s laws.
“It won’t be fixed overnight in its totality, but the issue of contract work is an issue the Government is not only seized of [but] we have been taking steps to address it, and steady gains are being made in this regard,” Senator Fitz-Henley stated.
Speaking in the House of Representatives last year, Dr. Clarke gave the commitment that the Government will address the matter.
“It’s a big problem. We did not start the problem, but this Government will begin and advance the process of addressing this problem. The Government will move towards regularising consistently renewed contract workers and moving them to structured employment,” Dr. Clarke said.
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Guyana
The Government has defended the $270.9M in subvention that has been set aside for the Public Procurement Commission (PPC), even as Opposition Member of Parliament, David Patterson continues to question whether Guyana is getting value for money.
The Parliamentary Committee of Supply was told today that the Public Procurement Commission has completed just four investigations over the past 18 months, and of the four investigations completed, only two of them have been published.
As he scrutinized the operations of the PPC during the Consideration of the Budget Estimates, MP Patterson pointed out that the $270.9M budgeted for the Constitutional agency represents an increase of $35M or 15% when compared to subvention it received in 2023.
“Mr Chairman, this agency spent $199.8M in 2022; $235.3M in 2023, and was only able to publish two reports during this report,” the APNU+AFC MP pointed out.
The PPC received a total of 12 requests for investigations to be done following its reconstitution in July, 2022.
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, in responding to the series of questions posed by the Opposition MP, told the Committee of Supply that the Public Procurement Commission is tasked with other responsibilities outside of conducting investigations into Government procurement.
“I wish to remind the Honourable Member that under Article 212 of the Constitution, the PPC has 13 functions, one of which is investigation, one of which is investigation. It has 13 functions, and the Procurement Act also details its roles on a number of issues in compliance with the Constitution. So, you are focusing on one issue, yes. Do we think we are getting value for money? Yes! In the anti-corruption field and being able to investigate and have an authority that is constitutional and independent of the Government or of you the Opposition or anybody else so, be it. The money is well used because it allows for that oversight function,” Minister Teixeira said.
Further, she disclosed that the Commission has visited a number of the Administrative Regions, and has also completed training programmes and other initiatives.
Pressing the Governance Minister for more answers, MP Patterson inquired about the salaries and benefits paid to the Chairman and Commissioners of the Public Procurement Commission.
It was then that the Minister revealed that the Chairman of the PPC receives a salary of $1.3M monthly or $15.6M per annum in addition to travel, telephone, entertainment and security allowances, pushing it to a total of $20.3M annually.
The Deputy Chairman receives a monthly salary of $1.1M along with a number of allowances, while the Commissioners get a salary of $900,000 along with entertainment allowances per month
“Based on the response given by the Minister, quick calculations, for the 18 months that they would have existed, the Chairperson would have received about $30M, the Deputy Chairperson would have received $24M, and the three commissioners combined, in the 18 months since they have been established, would have received $50M in salaries to produce two single reports. Sir, does this agency consider THIS value for money,” MP Patterson questioned as he registered his concern.
But the question from Patterson did not sit well with Minister Teixeira, and in her response she pointed out that during the 2018 to 2020, the PPC produced only two reports.
“Two reports from 2018 to 2020, sir. And you know the two reports. You know one very well sir. You know one extremely well which had to do with the new Demerara Harbour Bridge, which you know now is a matter in Court sir, and so, that was one of the investigations of the PPC then and was made public and was then removed from the website. The second one, had to do with the Ministry of Health, and the purchase of $600M worth of drugs without going to tender,” Minister Teixeira pointed out.
She said back then, officials of the PPC were receiving similar salaries.
Further, she told the Committee that the current Commission is responding to requests for investigation as they come, however, the progress of those investigations is based on availability of documents needed.
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Guyana
The Caribbean is one of the major food importers paying close to USD 6 billion for 80% of its food imports. While there is latent capacity within the agriculture sector, the region’s farmers are constrained by several factors including the absence of clear guidelines and protocols for the movement of plant and animal products. This gap affects everyone involved in intra-regional agri-food trade from the small community farmers to traders to retailers by limiting their ability to capitalise on trade opportunities within the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). Consumers are also negatively affected as their access to nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables produced within the region is also curtailed. Connectivity, cooperation and integration are therefore key in reducing not only the massive food import bill but also in reducing the cost of produce and manufacturing inputs.
The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) is supporting agriculture and rural development, and business competitiveness with two new projects in Guyana targeting national and regional food security. The Strengthening Surveillance Programmes for Bovine Tuberculosis and Bovine Brucellosis in Guyana and the Development of a Food Products Traceability System for Pineapples and Leafy Greens in Guyana projects are tools with which the Bank is assisting Guyana, the region’s food basket, to improve not only productivity and market linkages but also aspects of CARICOM’s 25 by 2025 initiative.
According to Lisa Harding the Bank’s Acting Head of the Private Sector Division, “We’re committed to supporting all our Borrowing Member Countries with instilling good agricultural practices and compliance procedures among stakeholders of the agri-food supply chain, and the development of regional public goods to strengthen agriculture health and food safety and increase intra-regional trade.”
CDB’s work in the Caribbean also emphasizes agri-business as a critical area for investment. Through collaborations with development partners, agriculture stakeholders inclusive of farmers are being empowered to adopt cutting edge technology to enhance production. Beyond human capital development, CDB is also pursuing cluster and value chain development focused on priority commodities and offering financing to small farmers and Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs). The Bank recently partnered with CARDI on a sweet potato, value chain project and has supported several initiatives for farmers focused on climate resilient agriculture with financing from the United Kingdom’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. Initiatives in trade through the ongoing EPA & CSME Standby Facility financed by the European Union are addressing challenges related to trade barriers, standards and certification in 14 countries. In addition, the Bank is supporting projects to improve transportation, logistics, road and drainage infrastructure in response to climate change which has had significant impacts on the sector.
At the national level, Guyana, one of the largest producers of agricultural products in the region, and whose President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has been championing efforts to bolster agri-food trade, will receive the added benefit of two new initiatives to contribute to the Cooperative Republic’s and CARICOM’s longer-term food security objectives. Commenting on the project Agriculture Minister, Hon. Zulfikar Mustapha, recently stated that these projects address critical areas needed for a reliable agri-food system.
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