Latest update November 13th, 2024 1:00 AM
Former Jamaican anti-corruption boss urges region…Appoint special Minister, ban poorly performing contractors
Former Contractor General of Jamaica, Greg Christie, has urged the region to take tough measures against corruption. These measures should include banning of firms which consistently fail to perform.
Christie, a tough-talking regulator, was making a presentation at the University College of the Cayman Islands’ 2014 International Conference on Friday, according to a story published yesterday in the Jamaican Gleaner.
Former Jamaican Contractor-General, Greg Christie
Speaking on the topic ‘Toward a Corruption-free Caribbean: Values, Ethics and Morality’, Christie drew on Jamaica’s anti-corruption model with reflections and lessons for the region derived from his role as Contractor General.
He noted that despite having what many have come to regard as one of the most robust anti-corruption architectures in the Commonwealth Caribbean, Jamaica is generally ranked as the most corrupt country within the region, second only to Guyana.
He recommended the implementation of a national and regional system for certification, de-certification, debarment and cross-debarment of Government contractors who engage in fraudulent practices or who consistently fail to perform their contracts to required standards.
Christie is also suggesting that the Jamaican and regional governments require the public filing and disclosure of assets, income and liabilities for all Parliamentarians, politicians and critical-level public officials.
Christie, who first recommended the establishment of a single anti-corruption agency in Jamaica with prosecutorial powers to tackle corruption, is now proposing the appointment of an anti-corruption Cabinet minister with responsibility also for ethics and good governance, the Jamaican Gleaner report said.
Jamaica’s Justice Minister, Senator Mark Golding, recently tabled that country’s Integrity Commission Act, which seeks to consolidate the laws relating to the prevention of corruption, and the award and monitoring of government contracts.
An attorney by profession, Christie argued that successive Jamaican governments and parliaments have failed to implement repeated recommendations which have been advanced to strengthen the effectiveness of the country’s anti-corruption institutional framework.
He commented that decisive and courageous leadership “to do what is right” was lacking in Jamaica as opposed to “what is politically expedient”.
Jamaica’s fight against corruption would mirror that of Guyana.
Guyana has passed several laws to battle corruption, including its own integrity regulations.
However, the Integrity Commission has not been functioning as expected, with members still not appointed although being assented to since 1997.
Currently, public officials in high offices, have to disclose before June 30th each year their financial assets and liabilities. However, not much has been done with those declarations.
The Opposition has been calling for a functioning commission.
The Commission, according to its website, has the power to do anything for the proper performance of its function and in discharging its function, “it is not subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority. The Commission has the authority to regulate its own procedure and may make rules for that purpose.”
When a public officer ceases to be a person in public life, he/she should disclose his/her assets and liabilities to the Commission within thirty days from the date that individual ceases to be a person in public life.
Guyana has been rated as one of the worst in the region by watchdog groups, a charge that the administration has dismissed.
There have been harsh criticisms over the seemingly soft manner in which Government has been dealing with contractors who did not perform according to obligations.
There has been glaring cases of overpayments, signaling collusion with corrupt engineers who are charged with signing off on work. There has also been evidence and complaints that some contractors would switch from region to region, with little systems in place to track them for non-performance or poor performance.
The National Assembly is currently considering names to the Public Procurement Commission, which would regulate state contracts and take complaints from aggrieved parties.
Some analysts believe that as much as 20 per cent of the contract price is lost to bribery of public officials.
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