{"id":16501,"date":"2021-05-12T11:18:22","date_gmt":"2021-05-12T16:18:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev?p=16501"},"modified":"2021-05-12T11:18:22","modified_gmt":"2021-05-12T16:18:22","slug":"contractor-general-takes-strong-stance-on-procurement-practices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/contractor-general-takes-strong-stance-on-procurement-practices\/","title":{"rendered":"Contractor General takes Strong Stance on Procurement Practices"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Contractor General Omar Mitchell is taking a strong stance on procurement practices. Love News received an internal memo from the Office of the Contractor General which explains the rules to awarding of contracts and procurement practices. Hipolito Novelo reports.<\/p>\n<p>On page three of this memo, under \u201cConfidentiality\u201d it reads that all correspondence, memos, and emails from the OCG are confidential\u201d. Ironically memo number one of 2021 from the Office of the Contractor General was leaked exclusively to Love News. The subject of the memo is procurement practices- it\u2019s not a new subject but rather one that has been brought up many times in recent years by parliamentarians.<\/p>\n<p><b>ark Lizarraga, Former Senator for Private Sector:<\/b><i> \u201cIf the processes employed are less than transparent and if we know that party political hacks, partisan individuals continue to get these major contracts then we have to question.\u201d\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n<p>And they did. Questions after questions, complaints after complaints were voiced to the previous government but nothing much was done. It was senators who rejected the reappointment of Godwin Arzu as Contractor General after he failed to produce yearly reports.<\/p>\n<p>Arzu was succeeded by Omar Mitchell who in February 2020 was appointed to the post for three years. Mitchell is bring down the hammer on the Financial Secretary, Cabinet Secretary, Accountant General, Auditor General, CEO\u2019s, accounting officers, HOD\u2019s, and even the Finance Minister, John Briceno.<\/p>\n<p>Mitchell\u2019s memo is direct and strongly worded. It reminds the recipients that the law requires open tendering for contracts valued more than fifty thousand dollars. In fact, the memo reveals that in 2021 alone there have been numerous submissions to his office where the use of limited tendering were used for contracts valued more than fifty thousand dollars. Mitchell says the reasons but those reasons are debatable. These include \u201cemergencies that have been emergencies for several months, if not a year, limited time which in reality is the result of poor planning or internal organization, dubious claims of lack of appropriate suppliers or qualified person.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mitchell then lays down this rule- \u201ceffectively immediately, whether it is public funds or donor funds, submissions must be made to the office of Contractor General for pre-approval for the use of limited or selective tendering for amounts upwards of fifty thousand dollars three working days in advance.\u201d If this rule is not followed, Mitchell will not issue a certificate.<\/p>\n<p>Then there is the issue of the selection of supplier. Under the previous UDP government we heard the same names receiving several multimillion dollar contracts.<\/p>\n<p><b>Mark Lizarraga, Former Senator for Private Sector:<\/b> \u201c<i>How it is that only one contractor seems to be favored or very few contractors seem to be favored for all of these major major works that we\u2019re seeing done, major infrastructural works that we see throughout the country and only the few preferred contractors get these jobs and in a process that is not too transparent if I may say.\u201d\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lovefm.com\/contractor-general-takes-strong-stance-on-procurement-practices\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">more<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><em>image: Pixabay-Pexels<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Contractor General Omar Mitchell is taking a strong stance on procurement practices. Love News received an internal memo from the Office of the Contractor General which explains the rules to&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1091,"featured_media":6598,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[250,112],"tags":[160,128,71],"class_list":["post-16501","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-articles","category-newsdevelopments","tag-belize","tag-bids","tag-procurement"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Contract-agreement-signature-Pixabay-Pexels.jpeg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6u9Qa-4i9","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3577,"url":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/jutc-probe-contractor-general-investigating-allegations-of-procurement-breach\/","url_meta":{"origin":16501,"position":0},"title":"JUTC Probe &#8211; Contractor General Investigating Allegations Of Procurement Breach","author":"Michele Marius","date":"November 7, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"For the last four months, the Office of the Contractor General has been conducting a probe into the Jamaica Urban Transit Company Limited's (JUTC) engagement of Millennium Security Limited (MSL) to provide services to the state-owned bus company, Dirk Harrison revealed yesterday. Managing director of the JUTC, Paul Abrahams, told\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News\/Developments&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News\/Developments","link":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/category\/newsdevelopments\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/JUTC-Buses-Jamaica-Gleaner.jpeg?fit=1200%2C913&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/JUTC-Buses-Jamaica-Gleaner.jpeg?fit=1200%2C913&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/JUTC-Buses-Jamaica-Gleaner.jpeg?fit=1200%2C913&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/JUTC-Buses-Jamaica-Gleaner.jpeg?fit=1200%2C913&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/JUTC-Buses-Jamaica-Gleaner.jpeg?fit=1200%2C913&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4683,"url":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/office-of-the-contractor-general-probing-st-andrew-nw-roadworks\/","url_meta":{"origin":16501,"position":1},"title":"Office Of The Contractor General Probing St Andrew NW Roadworks","author":"Michele Marius","date":"March 2, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Contractor general\u00a0Dirk Harrison\u00a0says his office is probing allegations about the use of money from the Equalisation Fund to repair three roads in St\u00a0Andrew North Western where a by-election will be held on March 5. The claim was made recently by Minority Leader in the Kingston & St\u00a0Andrew Municipal Corporation, who\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News\/Developments&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News\/Developments","link":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/category\/newsdevelopments\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Magnifying-glass-theilr-flickr.jpg?fit=1024%2C680&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Magnifying-glass-theilr-flickr.jpg?fit=1024%2C680&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Magnifying-glass-theilr-flickr.jpg?fit=1024%2C680&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Magnifying-glass-theilr-flickr.jpg?fit=1024%2C680&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":17357,"url":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/pm-fires-warning-shot-over-procurement-whistleblower\/","url_meta":{"origin":16501,"position":2},"title":"PM Fires Warning Shot Over Procurement Whistleblower","author":"Mayra Bonilla Lopez","date":"July 7, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"The prime minister yesterday seemingly threatened to disclose personnel file details on a former government employee who wrote an article challenging the administration\u2019s procurement reform implementation. Dr Hubert Minnis, while closing the budget debate in the House of Assembly, blasted Daniel Ferguson as \u201can angry man\u201d in response to a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News\/Developments&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News\/Developments","link":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/category\/newsdevelopments\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/pexels-cottonbro-4098369-scaled.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/pexels-cottonbro-4098369-scaled.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/pexels-cottonbro-4098369-scaled.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/pexels-cottonbro-4098369-scaled.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":18795,"url":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/tender-board-denies-making-call-to-retender-ndias-steel-sheets-contract-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":16501,"position":3},"title":"Tender board denies making call to retender NDIA\u2019s steel sheets contract","author":"Mayra Bonilla Lopez","date":"October 7, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Guyana The National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) yesterday distanced itself from a decision to retender a contract, as claimed by the Ministry of Agriculture, and its Board will meet next week to discuss the issue. An NPTAB official said that the Board will want to clarify its role,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Articles&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3760067-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3760067-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3760067-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3760067-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3760067-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":25994,"url":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/integrity-commission-wants-registry-that-will-expose-negligent-contractors\/","url_meta":{"origin":16501,"position":4},"title":"Integrity Commission wants registry that will expose negligent contractors","author":"Michele Marius","date":"January 19, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Jamaica THE Integrity Commission (IC) is urging the Government to implement a public contract management system or registry that will essentially put contractors who fall down on their obligations on blast. The recommendation comes against the background of the findings of a special investigation which the commission conducted in January\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Articles&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Corruption-Pix4Free.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Corruption-Pix4Free.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Corruption-Pix4Free.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Corruption-Pix4Free.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16501","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1091"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16501"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16501\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16511,"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16501\/revisions\/16511"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6598"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16501"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16501"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projectcalls.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16501"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}