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Govt. deliberately stalled implementation of Procurement Commission

…so that they can continue to steal – AFC
By Abena Rockcliffe 
The Alliance For Change (AFC) yesterday reiterated its continued call for the implementation of a Public Procurement Commission (PPC) and said that the government has deliberately stalled that body’s realization so that it can continue to steal.
The party’s leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, said that the installation of such a commission, which is crucial to preventing corruption, is way overdue. Ramjattan opined that the government is delaying the installation so that it can prolong “lawlessness” thus securing the opportunity to misappropriate.

AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan

He said that the law to facilitate the implementation of the commission has been passed since 2003 and the position of the AFC has always been for this to be done.
Ramjattan said that his party is demanding that the government name its people to be appointed members of the commission.
“We have already named our two: Christopher Ram and Anand Goolsarran.”
He noted that the administration is still to name its representatives.
According to Ramjattan, the object of the exercise at Public Accounts Committee (PAC)’s meeting is for the those persons who are qualified to sit on the Commission  in accordance with the constitutional prescription as it relates to qualification, to be named.
He stated that Christopher Ram and Anand Goolsarran are perfect candidates to represent the AFC. Ramjattan said that from his understanding, A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) has already sent in a few names. “It is left up to the PPP (People’s Progressive Party) to send in its names,” Ramjattan said.
The Attorney-at-Law further mentioned that at the tripartite talks earlier this year, President Donald Ramotar had “made a promise” that he was going to have a procurement commission implemented by June of this year.
“We believe, quite honestly, that they want to steal as much as they can before the Procurement Commission is installed, and that is why we are going to have a Ramroop, on a anti-malaria bid, bidding $200M more than the next bid… that is what they (government) are doing, giving their favourites… their families and friends are getting the contracts and you don’t have a procurement commission that could go and scrutinize those contracts.”
Ramjattan also pointed to the recent exposure of fraudulent practices at National Drainage and Irrigation (NDIA) by a field audit officer, and described it as “another example of plain corruption”.
He also criticized Minister of Agriculture Leslie Ramsammy’s defence of the individuals highlighted in the report, adding that the two accused should be sent home to facilitate an investigation as the “…whole thing looks very criminal.”
Ramjattan said that the case resembles that involving National Communications Network (NCN) and suggested that the PPP is focusing on and highlighting cases like the one involving Agricola to divert citizens from what’s really important “all of these cases of corruption”.
General Secretary of the AFC, David Patterson, said that the government isn’t too enthused about implementing the commission because it will minimize its power to “give the contracts to their friends”.
With the Commission implemented, “the highlight of Luncheon’s weekly press conference will be omitted as the cabinet will no longer be the body to allocate contracts, that authority would then go to the commission… the power to grant contract to their friends, family and neighbours would be taken away,” Patterson stated.
The party executive cited a section in the Procurement Act that stated “Cabinet’s involvement under this section shall cease upon the constitution of the Public Procurement Commission…”
But, Patterson noted, “It will take another election for that to happen.”
NDIA has deemed the report which recommended the dismissal of the Chief Executive Officer Lionel Wordsworth and Senior Engineer, Aneel Chowbay, as “mischievous, misleading and aimed at damaging the image of the Authority for personal gains and aspirations”.
The audit of the NDIA’s fuel consumption and equipment operations and maintenance, was conducted between May and September. It was completed and submitted to the Chairman of the NDIA Board of Directors on September 26, and carbon-copied to President Donald Ramotar.
The report concluded that fraudulent acts were committed by Chief Executive Lionel Wordsworth and Senior Section Engineer (SSE) Mr. Aneel Chowbay, in breach of the Procurement Act 2003.
It speaks of conflict of interest and sole sourcing of services such as the supply of fuel and the awarding of contracts to relations of senior NDIA operatives, in breach of national procurement procedures.