In absence of Procurement Commission…Corrupt officials, contractors continue to siphon off tax dollars – AFC

By Zena Henry The Alliance for Change (AFC) which has made numerous calls for the commissioning of the Public Procurement Commission and even offered support for the controversial Anti-Money laundering Bill in return for the important body, has taken offence to statements made by Home Affairs Minister and General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Clement Rohee, who said that, “‘to establish the procurement commission would be a difficult compromise.’”

AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan

Leader of the AFC, Khemraj Ramjattan, lashed out at the ruling party representative stating that, “to uphold the constitution is not a compromise, but rather a sworn duty.” “Every day that the government refuses to establish the procurement commission, is another day for corrupt officials and contractors; namely friends, families and favourites of the government to siphon off tax dollars.” During the AFC’s regular press briefing held yesterday, Ramjattan charged that, “The constitution is the supreme law and for Mr. Rohee to contemplate, much less offer a public statement that links upholding the constitution to a concession to be granted by the PPP government is totally reprehensible.” Ramjattan said that the government’s attitude towards the constitution is a clear sign of their mode of rule and how they place their party above the state. The AFC Leader was expressing his annoyance with the signal by the government that to commission the procurement commission which is a necessary body, noted in the Laws of Guyana, was something to be bargained for. “Guyanese and their representatives should not have to be relegated to bargaining for an agency that our constitution states; and to quote it, ‘shall be established.’”   The bargaining days were over when the Bill was passed by the National Assembly, and it is now the government’s obligation to establish that procurement commission,” Ramjattan stated. The government has also failed to make known the names of their nominees for the commission, Ramjattan said, although many calls are being made for the procurement commission, which is supposed to take the contracting of workers for state jobs out of the government’s hand. Ramjattan said that the delay in the submission of names is another act by the government to subvert the constitution and replace it with the dictates of the PPP. Ramjattan said, however, that the commissioning of the procurement commission is in the preliminary stage. While the government is yet to present its five names for the body, Ramjattan said that at least 20 nominees have already been presented. Ramjattan said that the government has stated emphatically that the direction in which the opposition is seeking for the procurement commission to head, will not be forthcoming unless Cabinet is ensured it’s no-objection role. “The AFC is going to hold out that we would like to see the Cabinet’s role phased out. In 2001 and in 2003, the government had said that they would be phasing out the role they play in the granting of state contracts. They have changed their mouth now,” Ramjattan said emphatically, “…and so we are going to maintain that we in the AFC will utilize the leverage we have now in the anti-money laundering Bill to literally pressure the government into getting that procurement commission.” He explained that in 2001, there was a “little war” which was settled because of constitutional reform. To that, he explained, there was a constitutional reform saying there shall be a procurement commission, since the PPP government (of which Ramjattan was a part at the time), “had seen a lot of scams where procurement was being granted to friends and families. Cabinet, he said, still wanted their no objection, but international bodies had urged the government to take away that no objection from Cabinet and let it be as the constitution would have it. “The government had in 2003 done a procurement Act and promised that when the commission came into being, the role of Cabinet would be phased out completely. However, ten years now in breach of the commitment to the international bodies, they come back to say Cabinet must have no objection.” Ramjattan said that the AFC disbelieves that the government will pass the procurement Bill after they receive support for the anti-money laundering bill and so the demand for the body is now. The AFC leader said that the government is dishonest and must not be trusted, before reiterating that the PPP will face more pressure if they do not establish the procurement commission.