Sean Douglas
Photo source: transparency.org.tt/
THE TT Transparency Institute (TTTI) on Thursday urged the Government not to amend the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Act 2015 as proposed by a bill due for debate in the House of Representatives on Friday, the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property (Amendment) Bill 2020.
The TTTI made its call at a virtual briefing held by the Private Sector Civil Society Group (PSCSG.)
While TT had improved over the years on Transparency International’s 100-point Corruption Perception Index (CPI) from 35 in 2016 to 41 in 2018, TTTI wanted even more to be done.
TTTI secretary Susan Gordon declared, “Every year since 2015 the TTTI has confidently expected that the full operationalisation of the procurement legislation would boost TT’s CPI score as there is no question that in our country state contracts are a significant avenue for corruption.”
She recalled that at the launch of the 2019 CPI, TTTI had noted the three required steps to curb corruption: procurement legislation, campaign finance legislation and availability/disclosure of information.
While noting the establishment of the Office of Procurement Regulator (OPR,) Gordon noted the lapsing and failure of legislation on campaign funding and the whistle-blower protection respectively in Parliament. She urged, “Both of these pieces of legislation need to be brought back to Parliament in the very near future.”
Gordon lamented the proposals of the upcoming 2020 procurement bill.
“Today TTTI is dismayed and disappointed at Government’s intention to amend elements of the public procurement provisions by removing the OPR from involvement in government to government arrangements and arrangements with international financial organisations and from disposal of real property owned the Government.”
She said the TTTI joined with the other PSCSG members in urging these amendments not be pursued.
“Coupled with the inordinate and unnecessary delay in fully operationalising the public procurement regime, they undermine credibility and throw into question the sincerity of assurances given regarding commitment to transparency, accountability and value for money.”
Newsday was unable to contact Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi or Finance Minister Colm Imbert for a reaction.
