Guyana
-fire boat delivered a year after full sum paid
At a recent meeting in preparation for their appearance at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Finance Secretary Sukrishnalall Pasha stated that he had informed several permanent secretaries to desist from the practice of making advance payments to companies which are deemed as reputable.
The statement was made at a PAC hearing on Monday that was scrutinizing the Ministry of Home Affairs’ expenditures.
“I explained advance payments are not allowed and that practice should be stopped… No advance payment should be made and if advance payment is made there should be a bond to secure it… it is a breach in law to make [an] advance payment,” he stated.
Pasha said that no company must be given special treatment, and as such he will soon be dispatching a memo to permanent secretaries to remind them to desist from enabling advance payments.
At the time, the PAC was perusing the 2017 and 2018 reports where they questioned the delay in the arrival of the fire boat for the Guyana Fire Service (GFS). The boat was delivered a year after it was scheduled to arrive.
Former Permanent Secretary of the then Ministry of Public Security, Daniella McCalmon, told the committee that the full payment was made after the construction of the boat was completed and not on its arrival at Port Georgetown.
She explained that the UK-based company, Angloco Limited, had experienced difficulties finding a vessel to transport the completed boat from their construction site to Guyana.
McCalmon informed that in October 2017, 43 per cent of the cost was paid to the company and in August 2018, the outstanding 53 per cent was paid.
Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill, who is also a member of the PAC, suggested that the contract should have been worded for final payment to be made when the boat arrived in Guyana, and not when its construction was completed.
He also questioned whether Guyana was compensated in any way for the inconvenience, since the shipping challenges were not issues for the country to deal with.
The permanent secretary responded that she was not in a position to say but to best of her knowledge, the company has been generous to the GFS and in the past, made donations of equipment to the fire service.
According to the audit report, the sum of $174.2 million was expended on the purchase of a fire boat, water tenders, and ambulances for the GFS. Included in this sum was a contract awarded by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board via sole sourcing in the sum of $307.457 million for the procurement of one multi-purpose fire rescue boat for the GFS.
The contract was signed on August 4, 2017 and according to its terms, the boat was to have
been delivered 9 to 10 months after the date of signing.
On December 31, 2017, the amount of $131.354 million was paid to the contractor. Approval was granted by the Finance Secretary for a multi-year contract and the final payment was budgeted for in 2018. However, at the time of reporting, the boat had not been delivered although ten months had elapsed. Nevertheless, it was noted that the supplier had indicated that the boat would be shipped on November 5, 2018. This was not done and the boat arrived in 2019.
In October 2019, then Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, and then Fire Chief, Marlon Gentle, commissioned the boat.
The fireboat, named the “Protector”, has the capacity to pump over 5,000 gallons of water per minute.
Gentle at the time said that over the last 30 years the fire service had made numerous efforts to acquire a fireboat but their efforts never bore fruit.
“Over 30 years we have been without a boat, so we would have had no expertise within the fire service even though they [firefighters] had exposure to marine fire-fighting training,” Gentle said, adding that he was happy the fire service was now equipped with such an important asset.
“Port Georgetown remains a high risk area in our firefighting plan because of its import and export windows at the wharves. This is why a marine sector of the fire service is important for us to carry out our mandate,” Gentle stressed.
The Fire Chief stated that 17 ranks were trained by the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard to form the marine section of the GFS.
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Trinidad and Tobago
OPPOSITION Member of Parliament, Dr Roodal Moonilal, is calling on the Government to undertake an independent investigation into the procurement by the Ministry of National Security of an upgrade to the current national closed-circuit television (CCTV) network.
“I am now calling for an independent investigation outside of the Government…we need to get an independent enquiry into the debacle of the tendering and contract arrangements for the CCTV cameras by the Ministry of National Security from September 2018 to April 2022 and thereafter, said Moonilal, at a virtual news conference last Thursday.
Moonilal’s call for the investigation followed last Wednesday’s publication by the Trinidad Express of Prime Minister Keith Rowley’s revelation that Cabinet had stopped the award of the contract for the national CCTV network in Trinidad to Irish-owned telecommunications provider Digicel and referred the evaluation and its outcome to new Attorney General Reginald Armour.
The Prime Minister made the disclosure to the Express last week Monday, in written responses to questions sent to him. The Prime Minister was asked to confirm that majority State-owned Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) submitted a bid for the contract that was substantially less than the Digicel bid, but the TSTT bid was disqualified for “technical” reasons.
He was also asked why the Government (Ministry of National Security) issued a letter of award to a company in which it has no equity interest, when a company in which it does have an equity interest is capable of doing the job.
In response, the Prime Minister said: “Those are the same questions that the Government is asking and have stopped any award and have referred the evaluation and its outcome to the Attorney General for his advice. This was done about two weeks ago. We await the review of the Attorney General.”
The Ministry of National Security issued a request for proposals (RFP) in January 2021 for the design, supply and installation of a dedicated data connectivity solution to support the national CCTV network.
That first RFP was withdrawn without explanation and was replaced by an RFP that was issued in October 2021, according to documents seen by the Express. The second RFP stipulates the installation of 2,488 cameras in 294 communities across Tobago and Trinidad, comprising 898 sites.
Some 470 of the 2,488 cameras are required to facilitate facial recognition, while 1,127 are required to recognise vehicle licence plates.
The opposition parliamentarian said a retired High Court judge and an expert in telecommunications would be appropriate choices to participate in the investigation.
“And don’t go and pick up someone on the street because you know them years now and put them to enquire. This must be a proper enquiry, with independent persons,” said Moonilal.
The Prime Minister told the Express that Cabinet authorised the Ministry of National Security to proceed with the CCTV project. That brought into action an evaluation done by a team under the ministry and its tender process, Rowley said. “When the Cabinet discovered where they were going, a demand was made to see the details of the process that resulted in the concern you also expressed,” the Prime Minister said, adding, “The documents were submitted and it is out of dissatisfaction and concern that the matter has been halted and sent to the AG for his advice and guidance.
“This is not the first time we have had issue with the attempt to award a contract in this ministry. The police had to be called in to trace ‘lost’ documents,” Rowley said. Questioned about the political repercussions of awarding the CCTV contract to Digicel, given that 51 per cent State-owned TSTT is in the middle of a retrenchment process, which is being funded by borrowed money,
Rowley said, “That is precisely why the effort to award it ‘as recommended’ by the second questionable evaluation process has attracted the intervention of the Cabinet to see just how this kind of recommendation emerged and why it is disregarding exactly what you are saying.”
He said the Cabinet awaits the advice of the Attorney General “because since ‘independent’ professional people did the tender process, we want to know what drives this outcome, which is seen to be so worrisome.”
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Caribbean
Plans for three airport projects in the Caribbean region, all involving private investments, have been delayed due to government decisions and the pandemic. The projects are still on standby and could be tendered quickly or works could resume if there is enough political will.
BNamericas takes a look at these projects.
Dominican Republic: Bávaro international airport (AIB)
The future of the US$200mn airport is still in limbo after the superior administrative court (TSA) sided with civil aviation institute Idac on its decision to suspend the project that was awarded to conglomerate Grupo Abrisa.
Works started in September 2020 after former president Danilo Medina approved construction via executive decree. However, under the administration of his successor, President Luis Abinader, who took office in August 2020, Idac suspended the project because it violated “the principles, norms and procedures established in the current legal system.”
Since then, the company that was consolidated to manage the airport, also called AIB, has attempted to revive the project. The facility could be the third in the Dominican Republic’s east. Yet, all levels of government, including the judicial branch, rejected the project.
In February, TSA rejected an appeal filed by the company to revoke Idac’s decision.
AIB’s defense argued that the suspension violated the principles of public administration as Idac did not have the competence to decide on an agreement signed between the government and the airport company.
But judges sided with Idac, reiterating that the conglomerate has not presented “the relevant documents and technical reports for the continuation of the airport.”
Another argument against the airport is that it is being built too close – less than 50km – to the existing Punta Cana international airport. Several social, competitive and environmental concerns are also at play.
Barbados: Grantley Adams international airport (GAIA)
Although the government has not canceled plans to award a 30-year concession to operate, expand and improve the GAIA terminal through a public-private partnership, it has also not updated the status of the tender process, for which 13 bidders prequalified in August 2020.
At the end of November, the government information service (GIS) denied rumors that the airport had awarded the PPP contract to China. It then provided an update.
“The PPP project is in the procurement phase … With the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the aviation sector, GAIA Inc. has been reviewing the structure of the PPP,” it said in a statement, adding that “the 13 prequalified bidders will receive requests for proposals in the first quarter of 2022 when the restructuring of the transaction is complete.”
Under the partnership, the government will remain the airport’s owner, and the private operator will only have the right to use the assets and the right to invest and expand the airport, similar to a lease, for the length of the partnership. The assets will return to the state at the end of the contract.
To pick a winner, authorities have requested advisory services of the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
The Bahamas: Out Island airport upgrades
Uncertainty also surrounds a plan to award a 30-year concession to operate and improve seven airports on the Out Island after the government announced it was reviewing the bidding contest.
In June, the tourism and aviation ministry (MOTA) said it was seeking qualified private partners to update, operate and improve a number of Family Island airports aimed at increasing visitor arrivals and driving economic growth. It wanted to launch the bidding process last year and award the contract by 1Q22, but the tender has not yet been launched.
A change of government happened in September, with Philip Davis succeeding Hubert Minnis as prime minister.
In October, deputy prime minister Chester Cooper said the government “put a hold” on the US$400mn plan to analyze it, according to local site Eye Witness News.
“We want to ensure that what has been done is consistent with the policies of our government. Once we have completed our review, you will hear more about it,” he reportedly said.
The airports included in the PPP airport program are:
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Caribbean
April 8, 2022, BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Citizens of Antigua and Barbuda availing themselves of Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) Certification through a new European Union (EU) financed project, will benefit from increased employment opportunities across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). According to the Honourable E.P. Chet Greene, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Trade, Antigua and Barbuda, the new project will “assist in closing an existing developmental gap, which has constrained the labour force and hindered the mobility of nationals to capitalize on employment opportunities at the national and regional levels.” The Minister also noted that leveraging access to the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) has become increasingly important in creating new economic opportunities for citizens. CARICOM has agreed to the movement of twelve (12) categories of nationals including Artisans with Caribbean Vocational Qualifications (CVQ’s) and Household Domestics with CVQs or equivalent qualifications.
Caribbean Development Bank’s (CDB) Vice President of Operations, Mr. Isaac Solomon, delivering remarks at the project launch on April 7 in Antigua, stated that the “Enhanced Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) Framework for Certification in Antigua and Barbuda Project brings into sharper focus the need for, and value of, increased investment in education and skills training particularly in non-traditional areas.” The Bank has long recognised the importance of building social resilience and the urgency of addressing existing disparities in the education ecosystem. In response, CDB has sought, through its programmes, to build the adaptive and transformative capacities of individuals, communities, and institutions to more readily sustain citizens’ well-being and improve their quality of life, he intimated.
While encouraging the national partners in education to support the project, the Honourable Daryll S. Matthew, Minister of Education and Sports Antigua and Barbuda indicated, “that the elements of the project are designed to build a growth inclusive framework which places emphasis on vulnerable groups” adding that the Government will be able to realize its broader developmental objectives of raising the standard of living and reducing the incidence of poverty by empowering such groups to leverage their enhanced skills to secure greater wealth creation prospects locally and regionally.
EU Ambassador, Malgorzata Wasilewska, indicated that the “project will contribute significantly to the sustainable growth and development of the country. Benefits will include improved quality learning among youth, reduced unemployment among young people; greater inclusion of women in non-traditional TVET roles; improved access for persons living with disabilities; and the development of a highly skilled and credentialed workforce.”
The two-year project is being implemented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Trade on behalf of the Antigua and Barbuda National Training Agency (ABNTA). The project will focus on training of individuals already established in particular fields, without requisite TVET certification. This will pave the way for full utilization of the opportunities available locally and through the CSME. The two-year initiative provides EUR 257, 535 in Technical Assistance to Government of Antigua and Barbuda from the EPA & CSME Standby Facility.
The Standby Facility is a EUR 8.75 million resource managed by CDB which offers opportunities to 15 Caribbean economies to grow trade, deepen integration and economic involvement, impact competitiveness, market access and exports by implementing targeted projects in thematic areas.
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Trinidad and Tobago
CABINET has stopped the award of a contract for a national CCTV (closed-circuit television) network in Trinidad and Tobago to Irish-owned telecommunications provider Digicel, and referred the evaluation and its outcome to new Attorney General Reginald Armour.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley made this disclosure to the Express on Monday, in written responses to questions sent to him.
The Prime Minister was asked to confirm that majority State-owned Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) submitted a bid for the contract that was substantially less than the Digicel bid, but the TSTT bid was disqualified for “technical” reasons.
He was also asked why the Government (Ministry of National Security) issued a letter of award to a company in which it has no equity interest when a company in which it does have an equity interest is capable of doing the job.
In response, the Prime Minister said: “Those are the same questions that the Government is asking and have stopped any award and have referred the evaluation and its outcome to the Attorney General for his advice. This was done about two weeks ago. We await the review of the Attorney General.”
The Ministry of National Security issued a request for proposals (RFP) in January 2021 for the design, supply and installation of a dedicated data connectivity solution to support the national CCTV network.
That first RFP was withdrawn without explanation and was replaced by an RFP that was issued in October 2021, sources said.
The second RFP stipulates the installation of 2,488 cameras in 294 communities across Tobago and Trinidad, comprising 898 sites. Some 470 of the 2,488 cameras are required to facilitate facial recognition, while 1,127 are required to recognise vehicle licence plates.
TSTT’s technical proposal for the second RFP was rejected by the evaluators of the procurement process, even though TSTT designed and installed a CCTV network for the East-West Corridor in 2009 that would have been approved by the security agencies of the US and Britain. The Summit of the Americas and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting were both held in T&T in 2009.
‘Not the first time’
The prime minister explained that the award of contracts by ministries is not a Cabinet decision.
He said Cabinet authorised the Ministry of National Security to proceed with the CCTV project. That brought into action an evaluation done by a team under the ministry and its tender process, Rowley said.
“When the Cabinet discovered where they were going, a demand was made to see the details of the process that resulted in the concern you also expressed,” the Prime Minister said, adding, “The documents were submitted and it is out of dissatisfaction and concern that the matter has been halted and sent to the AG for his advice and guidance.
“This is not the first time we have had issue with the attempt to award a contract in this ministry. The police had to be called in to trace ‘lost’ documents,” Rowley said.
Questioned about the political repercussions of awarding the CCTV contract to Digicel, given that 51 per cent State-owned TSTT is in the middle of a retrenchment process, which is being funded by borrowed money, Rowley said, “That is precisely why the effort to award it ‘as recommended’ by the second questionable evaluation process has attracted the intervention of the Cabinet to see just how this kind of recommendation emerged and why it is disregarding exactly what you are saying.”
He said the Cabinet awaits the advice of the Attorney General “because since ‘independent’ professional people did the tender process, we want to know what drives this outcome, which is seen to be so worrisome.”
Non-disclosure agreements
Asked for a comment on the process and whether Digicel had received a letter of award on or about March 25, a spokesperson for the company said: “Digicel has participated in multiple Government tenders over the years. As you may or may not be aware, participants in tenders with the Government are bound by non-disclosure agreements. Therefore, we would refer you to the Ministry of National Security with any questions you might have.”
A TSTT executive said the company would prefer not to comment at this time.
TSTT has had a fraught relationship with the Government over the 2009 CCTV contract and its extensions, with several ministers accusing the company of overcharging the State.
In its February 2022 information memorandum for the new bonds issued to finance the retrenchment, TSTT said, “As of March 31, 2021, we had outstanding bills totalling $695 million to the Ministry of National Security, of which $377 million was recorded as accounts receivable and $318 million was recorded as a bad debt provision. We delivered a notice of arbitration to the Ministry of National Security seeking a sum of TT$677 million, which represents the total amount owed to us as of January 31, 2021.”
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