Jagdeo blanks Opposition representation on procurement boards

Dec 03, 2024 News

—-says obstructionist culture must change first

Kaieteur News- Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has blanked the possibility of the Opposition having representation on the national and regional procurement and tender boards, saying that their culture of obstruction needs to change first.

At his news conference, last week, Jagdeo was asked whether government would consider amending the legislation to provide for Opposition, and probably civil society participation on the boards, so as to remove suspicion of corruption within the system. Jagdeo, in response, said, “You know we live in a democracy; you think President Trump will put anyone in charge of his executive function…that he has to answer to the people of the country? That he’d put someone there who has a track record of being negative and disruptive and try to slow things down rather than be supportive in any of his agenda?”

Jagdeo blanks Opposition representation on procurement boards

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo.

He stressed that it is something that the government will never contemplate until there is a change of culture in the political Opposition, as they have a history of focusing on disruption. “If they’re in government, they stay in power through trying to steal elections, not through the respect of the right of individual voters. And when they’re out of government, they try to disrupt everything. A seemingly normal thing would now take forever,” Jagdeo said. There have been a number of flawed contract awards at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) over the past few years, and this has constantly been highlighted by the Opposition as well as the media.

Executive Member of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) and Member of Parliament, Ganesh Mahipaul, recently urged the government to create a seat at the table of the NPTAB for the Opposition. In fact, he said if the party gets into government at next year’s election, it will create that space to reduce corrupt practices and ensure transparency in the procurement process. “Our call for a seat at NPTAB, and the regional tender board is not one where we want to be disruptive, is not one where we want to dominate, and it will be foolish for us as an Opposition, to believe we can go on NPTAB and have a greater number than the government side. Of course, the government side has to have a greater number. They’re in government. The Opposition ought to be there to ensure whatever is done is being done in a transparent manner. It’s done with accountability, and it’s scrutinised properly,” Mahipaul said.

He went on to say that Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo is against this, but if the Opposition has one or two representatives on the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board, they will be able to see and expose public thievery.

Mahipaul reflected that when the APNU+AFC was in government Opposition representatives were on the regional tender boards. “The regional bodies were allowed to elect their two persons and since the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) had control of Region One, two of two of the five members came from them. It was the same for Regions Two and Three as well.” “There was always Opposition and government representation on NPTAB, (as well as) on the regional procurement and tender administration boards across this country…”,

Jagdeo, in recent times, has been speaking about what his government has been doing to improve the national procurement systems and recently warned that officers who are engaged in corrupt practices will face the full brunt of the law if caught. “If you have been engaged in these practices and you get caught, don’t come and later complain about you have kids or you have a party card or you belong to a party or something like that,” Jagdeo told a news conference back in May.

The VP told the media then that there have been reviews and he has seen a lot written about corruption. In the light of this, the government has undertaken reviews at every level of the procurement system. “So let me put on notice all those people who are responsible for procurement in public corporations, statutory bodies, the ministries, regions, central ministries everywhere, all the way to the National Tender Board,” Jagdeo said.

(Jagdeo blanks Opposition representation on procurement boards)

Culture, Jagdeo, NPTAB, opposition, procurement

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