Bahamas
THE Opposition’s leader yesterday pledged to “take up” two controversial maritime contracts with Parliament’s top spending watchdog after being left “not at all satisfied” with the Government’s answers.
Michael Pintard told Tribune Business he plans to pursue a deeper investigation through the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), on which the Free National Movement (FNM) holds the majority, into the awarding of multi-million dollar bids to DigieSoft Technologies and Adolpha Maritime Group.
Speaking after Jobeth Coleby-Davis, minister of energy and transport, responded to the Opposition’s questions on the contracts in the House of Assembly yesterday, he noted that “no less than a senior public servant has taken issue with the Government’s explanation of the matter” and “the way in which these matters were being dealt with”.
That refers to a legal claim launched against the Government by Antoinette Thompson, former permanent secretary in Mrs Coleby-Davis’ ministry, and Mr Pintard said of the answers he received: “We will continue to investigate these matters because the way in which they were answered, it’s very clear they [the Government] are not being transparent about that….
“I am not at all satisfied or assured with the facts as the Government is reporting them. These are matters that are the subject of criticism from within the public service, senior public servants, who felt the process did not follow the proper procedure.”
And he pointed out that the Government’s online procurement portal showed another company, Infrasoft, had won one of the bids.
That was the DigieSoft Technologies contract, which committed the Government to pay $3.355m for an online portal to collect the 4 percent Port Department fee levied on foreign yacht charters. That con- tract, as well as the annual $3.57m award to Adolpha Maritime Group for the maintenance of navigational aids in Nassau and other harbours across The Bahamas, were both cited for procedural irregularities in Ms Thompson’s initial October 27, 2023, legal action.
Mrs Coleby-Davis, responding to Mr Pintard’s questions, said: “I wish to affirm that these matters were discussed in detail during the Budget debate and subject to a transparent public tender process with the outcomes disclosed to the Ministry of Finance. I assure you, honourable member, that there has been no intention to with- hold information on these contracts from the Bahamian people.”
Asked why Infrasoft was named as the winning bidder on the Government’s procurement platform, the minister added: “I can confirm that following a competitive bidding process the winning bidder was DigieSoft Technologies, not Infrasoft.
“That was the result of a thorough two-round bidding process as recommended by the Tenders Board comprised of senior government officials. As the minister of energy and transport, my role did not involve participation in the Tenders Board. Hence my comments are based on the process’ integrity and fairness.”
Mr Pintard then suggested that DigieSoft Technologies appeared to have “no apparent track record in this area to handle a project of this size and scope”, questioning how many technical staff it has and how many similar projects it has undertaken.
Mrs Coleby-Davis said that after “thorough due diligence” and evaluation by the Tenders Board it was determined that DigieSoft’s principals had “extensive experience and qualification in computer information systems” with the company “comprised of a team of highly skilled developers drawn from an impressive local talent pool”.
“They have worked on several similar projects, and the company’s consistent positive feedback from clients serves as a testament to their capability and reliability for this project,” she added. As for Adolpha Maritime Group, the minister said it was among the two finalist bidders that were shortlisted from an initial field of seven.
“These two bids underwent a thorough review by the Tenders Board, which is comprised of senior government officials following a comprehensive evaluation. The Board recommended awarding the contract to Adolpha Maritime Group based on the company’s compelling written proposal and cost effectiveness,” Mrs Coleby-Davis said.
“The annual contract value is $3.5m subject to review, performance monitoring and oversight by the Port Department. This contract encompasses the repair, replacement and maintenance of navigational aids across The Bahamas, an archipelago nation with 200 aids to navigate. These aids are crucial for ensuring the safe navigation of vessels within our borders.
“Addressing deterioration and non-functionality of many navigational aids is of paramount importance for our country’s safety and navigational integrity…. The contract is performance based, has key performance indicators and is managed by the Port Department. They [Adolpha] have to pass phases.”
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Belize
Over 40 personnel from the public and private sectors as well as development agencies came together for a three-day technical workshop to improve development financing and planning towards accelerating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate objectives. This is being considered through the implementation of the Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF) approach in Belize based on national priorities and experience from other countries. The workshop was convened by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator (UNRCO) with technical leadership of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development, and Investment and Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management.
First introduced by the United Nations (UN) Member States in the 2015 Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the INFF is a planning and delivery tool that builds greater collaboration between various sectors by aligning and strengthening the government’s financing policies at the national level. It brings together the full range of public, private, domestic, and international financial sources to increase investment, manage risks, and achieve sustainable priorities.
“By reviewing the INFF approach, Belize continues to explore how to bridge the gap between national development plans and the financial resources available to implement these plans,” said Ian King, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative. “Now, this is not a one-size-fits-all approach. It is up to the country to take ownership of the framework by contextualizing it to the country setting and collaborating with key stakeholders, sectors, and policymakers. We, as the partners, are here to provide that technical support needed to move the country to more sustainable structures, processes, and mechanisms.”
With more than 85 countries currently implementing their own INFFs, the Government of Belize first expressed interest last year in exploring its value-added for Belize, particularly in supporting Horizon 2030, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Plan Belize Medium-Term Development Strategy (MTDS) and the Climate Finance Strategy in support of the implementation of Belize’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).
“Small states like Belize rely on international cooperation to address the challenges that directly impact and underpin Belize’s national development,” expressed H.E. Amalia Mai, Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade. “It presents an opportunity for our partners in development, financing institutions, government agencies, private sector and civil society organizations to critically assess a tool like the INFF to map how national strategies regarding climate change will be financed and implemented.”
By bringing together actors and policy frameworks across public and private finance, designing an INFF can help Belize overcome the challenges of effective public finance and monetary policy, leveraging private financing for investment and resilient economic growth while ensuring debt sustainability.
“The Ministry of Sustainable Development has experience in this type of approach,” shared Dr. Kenrick Williams, Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management.
“In 2016, we implemented the Bio-Diversity Finance Initiative which helped us to be more strategic in resources as well as developing finance solutions. It’s how we’re using those resources and how we are targeting those resources – if they are adequately repurposed and adequately invested then we can have the kind of impacts that we’re seeking.”
The conclusion of the workshop aims to develop a common understanding of Belize’s priorities for moving forward with its INFF to finance the goals set out under Horizon 2030, PlanBelize, Belize’s NDC, and the 2030 agenda.
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Turks and Caicos Islands
The Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA) continues to make strides in its ongoing congestion alleviation project.
We are pleased to provide the public with an update on the latest developments that bring us one step closer to the successful completion of this transformative initiative.
A press release said the extensive renovation works encompass a range of critical enhancements at the Howard Hamilton International Airport, including:
extended vehicle drop-off; new airline office; security checked baggage search room which allows our customer to remain within the departure area when additional screening is required; second-level security screening lane; expansion of the international departures hold room on second level; a new second-level access to new departures area; relocating of the diplomats lounge; VIP flyer lounge; extension of the in-transit passenger screening area and expansion of departures boarding gates.
The TCIAA that to work toward minimal disruptions to daily airport operations, the project was divided into phases. It announced the completion of the extended vehicle drop off, new airline offices, security checked baggage search room, and the extension of the in-transit passenger lounge.
“The airline office building, a key element of the congestion alleviation project, has reached a significant milestone. In December 2023, keys were distributed to each airline, marking the successful completion of the building,” the press release added. “Most airlines have finalized their relocation, with our dedicated contractor offering valuable assistance during this transitional period.”
Project Manager Wellenica Quant said: “Looking ahead, the focus shifts to the next steps in this intricate process, including clearing the upstairs area, and adding additional seating to the departure hall at the Howard Hamilton Terminal building. Renovation works demand meticulous attention to detail, ensuring the careful relocation or proper disposal of existing services.”
The expansion of the second-level international departure hall will result in a 40% increase in seating capacity, significantly improving operational flow through the terminal building. Additional seating has been procured to accommodate this expansion.
The project’s anticipated completion date is set for May 31st, 2024.
In parallel, measures are in place to address congestion at Howard Hamilton International Airport as the redevelopment project progresses. TCIAA has received eight bids for prequalification for the redevelopment of PLS airport. The prequalified list of potential tenders is planned for release on or by February 6th, 2024, followed by issuance of ITT and draft Contract.
The Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority said it remains steadfast in its commitment to enhancing infrastructure and addressing congestion issues for the benefit of the Traveling public, adding that it deeply appreciates the ongoing support and understanding of all stakeholders involved in this transformative project.
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Trinidad and Tobago
OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has asked whether any senior officials at Paria Fuel Trading Company Ltd had their employment contracts renewed before the Paria Commission of Enquiry (CoE) report was laid in the House of Representatives on January 19.
She asked this at the end of the UNC’s second anti-crime town hall meeting at Naparima College, San Fernando, on Monday.
The CoE report dealt with an accident at Paria’s Pointe-a-Pierre facility on February 25, 2022, when divers Christopher Boodram, Kazim Ali Jnr, Fyzal Kurban, Yusuf Henry and Rishi Nagassar were repairing a 30-inch pipeline and were sucked into it. Only Boodram survived.
Persad-Bissessar said she heard claims that the employment contracts of two Paria officials named in the report were extended before it was laid in the House.
“So how can you do that? Who’ll guard the guards?
“If they were the ones the report found was culpable in their behaviour, then why did you renew their contracts secretly during the period before the report was made public?”
She said this was a question for the Government to answer.
Persad-Bissessar also asked whether the alleged renewal of the contracts of the officials was done by Paria’s board or the Cabinet.
“If people are culpable in doing their jobs…One of our speakers said tonight, if you hire somebody to do a job and they can’t do it, you fire them. You don’t go and renew their contract for two more years.”
During the meeting, Vanessa Kussie (Nagassar’s widow) and Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) Pointe-a-Pierre branch president Christopher Jackman reiterated their call for compensation for the divers’ families. They said they intended to continue to protest outside Paria’s Pointe-a-Pierre facility until the company meets with the families.
The families, members of the OWTU and UNC protested there on January 25.
Kussie and Jackman said then that Paria would have a week to meet with the families, or there would be further protests.
Paria officials were unavailable on Tuesday to respond to Persad-Bissessar’s claims and on calls for a meeting with the divers’ families.
Responding to questions from UNC MPs Dr Roodal Moonilal and David Lee in the House on January 26, the Prime Minister said Government cannot direct state-owned Paria Fuel Trading Company Ltd to make any financial payments to the families.
“This is not a matter for the Government of Trinidad and Tobago to jump in.
“This is a matter where a state company had an accident in a situation where a contract was being executed by a private company…
“So the Government cannot just jump in and decide to pay compensation willy-nilly all over the place. We have to follow processes.”
Moonilal asked whether the families would have to await the outcome of a lengthy legal process before they receive any compensation.
Rowley replied, “I said no such thing. I said there is significant legal exposure to the taxpayers at all levels with respect to responsibilities, and I said that the situation is being properly reviewed by the board of Paria, a state entity, and others.”
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Caribbean
The fight against poverty is being accelerated in 2024. Poverty reduction in the context of sustainable development remains high on the agenda for the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission, in pursuit of the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 1- The Eradication of Poverty in all its Manifestations.
Following requests made from Member States as well as the aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic which posed health challenges, negatively impacted learning, caused job loss and exacerbated economic and social ills, the OECS Commission in partnership with the Caribbean Development Bank and the World Bank-funded Data for Decision Making Project re-launched the Enhanced Country Poverty Assessment Programme and Data Anonymisation Workshop on Monday, January 15, 2024, in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, and Tobago.
The re-launch opening ceremony and capacity-building workshop event (which ends on January 18, 2024) was conducted via a hybrid modality of in-person as well as live stream for virtual attendees and was attended by Permanent Secretaries, Statisticians, Economists, Policy Analysts, Social Analysts, and Community Development Specialists from across the Caribbean region. Technical specialists from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), World Bank, UN World Food Programme (WFP), Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), and the OECS Commission, also participated.
The updated Enhanced Country Poverty Assessment Programme (eCPA) will accelerate poverty reduction and promote economic stability through the alignment of data with policy direction in the OECS Member States keeping with the provisions of the Revised Treaty of Basseterre in creating an economic union that would facilitate social cohesion, economic development and build resilience.
“This project represents a commitment to understanding and addressing the multifaceted nature of poverty in our region,” said the Director General of the OECS, Dr. Didacus Jules, as he delivered remarks at the opening ceremony.
He added: “Utilising cutting-edge technology and data analysis, we aim to gain a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the poverty landscape. This is not just about numbers and statistics; it’s about the real stories, struggles, and strengths of our people. This work should also assist the region in responding and measuring our progress, our gaps, and challenges as we seek to meet the sustainable development goals (SDGs) specifically SDG 1 – ‘Eradication of Poverty in all its Manifestations’”.
Referencing CDB’s 2017 publication: The Changing Nature of Poverty and Inequality in the Caribbean, New Issues, New Solutions, CDB Director of Projects, Mrs. Therese Turner-Jones, highlighted that the pandemic had exacerbated regional poverty in her remarks at the opening ceremony.
“COVID-19 created a sense of normlessness, worsened existing structural inequalities, compounded impediments to citizens’ participation in socio-economic activities across client countries. The confluence of these factors has hastened the need for client countries to be supported by CDB and other partners in undertaking poverty assessments to access current empirical data to inform development policy and planning,” Mrs. Turner-Jones said, emphasising that the individual data collected would be kept strictly private.
Also delivering remarks [in order of appearance in the Programme] at the launch were Ms. Marie Hinds, Permanent Secretary (Ag.) Ministry of Planning and Development, Trinidad and Tobago, and Dr. Martin Baptiste, Division Chief, Social Sector Division, CDB.
Additionally, Mr. Olivier Dupriez, Deputy Chief Statistician, World Bank and Mr. Thijs Benschop, Statistician, World Bank, facilitated the Data Anonymisation Workshop which focused on Statistical Disclosure Control (SDC), a technique used in statistics to assess and lower the risk of a person or organisation being re-identified from the results of an analysis of survey or administrative data, or in the release of microdata.
A key highlight on Day 1 of the workshop was the practical training participants received through a hands-on-session in Software Installation and Exploration, the installation of the R package SDC Micro, exploration of the Graphical User Interface, as well as perturbative and non-perturbative data anonymisation methods (i.e. ways to respect confidentially and make the data anonymous without compromising or changing the data). The Enhanced Country Poverty Assessment was first launched in 2016 to measure the multi-dimensional aspects of poverty and living conditions. It consisted of five components: the Survey of Living Conditions/ Household Budgetary Survey, the Institutional Assessment, the Macro-Economic and Social Assessment, the Participatory Poverty Assessment and the Poverty Vulnerability Mapping. Additionally, the OECS Commission provided capacity-building training to Member States in support of the eCPA implementation.
The updated eCPA has been re-designed to ensure the attainment of meaningful results in the collective effort to address poverty and socio-economic disparities within its Member States whilst prioritizing data privacy and data anonymisation. It will also continue to prioritise the development of local capacity and aims to deliver tangible outcomes which include:
- Extensive consultations with Poverty Assessment Teams across Member States;
- Completion of data analysis and reporting on monetary and multi-dimensional poverty using the Enhanced CPA toolkit;
- Completion of Poverty Vulnerability Mapping (PVM) using data from SLC-HBS and Census Data;
- A Participatory Poverty Assessment and an Institutional Analysis, both of which are critical in providing a qualitative understanding of poverty within the Member States; and
- Macro Social and Economic Analysis, which involves consultations with National stakeholders and is pivotal in understanding the broader socio-economic landscape as well as informing policy decisions.
The re-launched eCPA has completed a draft set of monetary poverty results for St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as multi-dimensional deprivation indicators for St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and the British Virgin Islands. It is designed to strengthen our understanding of poverty to help develop interventions whilst prioritizing confidentiality and anonymity in data collection.
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