Procurement Commission ‘by June month end’ – Minister Rodrigues-Birkett

By Gary Eleazar

The Public Procurement Commission which is a constitutional body born from the Public Procurement legislation should be established by the end of June.
This is according to Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, who was at the time responding to her shadow Parliamentarian, APNU’s Deborah Backer, in the House yesterday.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett

Backer had raised the argument that one of the provisions of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union is the establishment of such a commission which had already been enshrined in the Guyana Constitution.
The Foreign Affairs Minister told the House that to the best of her knowledge this is a matter actively engaging the attention of the political opposition and the administration.
She said that at present the status quo is set at the submission of names.
The parliamentary opposition and the government are to submit the names of persons to sit on the commission.
This committee would subsequently be finalized by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament which is set to be established shortly, following a ruling in the High Court by Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang on the Parliamentary Selection Committee.