With regard to the Fair Trading Act, the JCC applauds the Government for proclaiming this legislation in the interest of fair trade.
We do, however, question the priorities of the administration, especially as it relates to the ongoing procrastination for the full proclamation of the Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Act. This partially proclaimed legislation has been languishing between the office of the Regulator and the Ministry of Finance for the last four years.
In terms of benefit for the country, procurement legislation, when fully proclaimed, will save billions of dollars annually by reducing the endemic corruption that currently exists within our public procuring agencies.
No doubt the Fair Trading Act has its merits, but it will not result in raising T&T’s international profile as it relates to our recent dismal rating in the Corruption Perception Index, as reported by Transparency International last month. The JCC therefore calls on the Government to immediately proclaim the Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Act without any amendments that seek to dilute its efficacy.
Fazir Khan
president, Joint Consultative Council for the Construction Industry
