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Public Procurement Commission high on agenda for PAC
On August 8, 2016 the National Assembly by a two-thirds majority vote, approved the five members of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC). According to Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Member of Parliament Irfaan Ali, there is no reason for the delayed swearing in of the members and that the matter is high on the agenda of the PAC for its next meeting.
Ali said, yesterday, that the PPC, by law, is the constitutional body to deal with all appeals regarding procurement and awarding of contracts. He said that the ball is squarely in the court of the Government, specifically at the seat of the President.
“It was this government which had said that it would implement a public procurement commission in its first 100 days. Now you have all the names and still the commission is not sworn in.”
He said that the matter is of serious concern to the committee which will discuss it at the next meeting since Parliament is currently in recess.
Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Irfaan Ali, MP
According to the MP, the PPC is intended to be the oversight body to ensure that there is fairness, transparency and accountability in the public procurement system.
Yesterday, the Parliamentary Opposition, the People’s Progressive Party Civic, issued a statement on this particular issue reporting that it has been two months since the members of the commission have been approved and not sworn in.
The PPP/C noted that members of government have on several occasions been featured in the media speaking on the matter. Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo had said that the process is now awaiting some administrative procedures, including finalising the remuneration packages.
Also, according to the PPP/C, President David Granger had said that in two weeks the commission will be set up, given as his excuse the drafting of the Terms of Reference and administrative matters.
The PPP/C said that the PPC is a constitutional body whose independence is enshrined in the Constitution. As a result, the President or government agency or personnel have the power given by the constitution to be involved in its establishment.
The party said that the role of the President is specifically to swear in the members—That is the beginning and the end of his remit.
The PPP/C reported that it appears that the President and the PM are unfamiliar with the constitutional provisions or they are being badly advised or that there has been a decision not to comply with these provisions.
The opposition plans to vehemently oppose the involvement of the government in setting up of the TORs for the Commission, the hiring and setting of salaries of staff for the Secretariat in the absence of the properly constituted and sworn in PPC.
According to the PPP/C “with 25 scandals and corruption listed over the last 16 months, the Parliamentary Opposition expects that one of the first things the Commission would have to investigate is the Drug bond scandal and other questionable contracts which are in violation of the Procurement Act and regulations implemented by all levels of government and state agencies.”
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