Contracts approved by Caretaker Govt. will be deemed invalid – PPP General Secretary

Sep 13, 2019 News

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP), according to its General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, will not recognise as valid, the contracts handed out by the Caretaker A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Government, as its powers have been vastly reduced, following its defeat on December 21, 2018, by a Motion of No Confidence in the National Assembly.

PPP General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo

The Opposition Leader is confident that with him at the helm of the party and Mohamed Irfaan Ali as its presidential nominee, it will win the upcoming General and Regional Elections.
President David Granger had said that the Government would limit its powers.
In a statement following the CCJ’s orders, Granger had said, “We obviously have to keep government running,” but provided that Government would limit its expenditure and not “embark on any controversial projects.”
During a press conference at his Church street office yesterday, Jagdeo said that in the most recent Post-Cabinet press briefing last week, Director General at the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, listed several contracts that were awarded by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), and noted by Cabinet.
Jagdeo addressed the companies, which were awarded the contracts Harmon listed, stating “Let me just say… that none of those contracts are valid.”
He continued, “And we will treat them as contracts that have been illegally granted.”
The Opposition Leader has warned Government, several times over the past nine months, that contracts will be deemed invalid by a PPP government, should the party emerge victorious. But since the ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on the No Confidence Motion in July, and its subsequent Consequential Orders made it clear that this Government is operating in a Caretaker capacity, Jagdeo’s words became much more weighted.
Harmon had said that the contracts awarded constitute much needed road construction and upgrades in regions four, six and 10. According to the Department of Public Information, they total $729M. Harmon said that the projects are part of a larger set of rehabilitation projects planned by Government, and awarded for the respective regions.
DPI has also provided that other roadwork for those regions, approved by Cabinet for 2019, amount in excess of $1.2B.

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