Tweet
Contractor General Greg Christie is warning that his office will increase its scrutiny of some state agencies in the face of the government exempting them from following established procurement guidelines.
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }In a release Thursday Contractor General Greg Christie strongly objected to the exemptions to four public bodies.
The changes were approved by Cabinet in August and published on September 22 by the Finance Ministry.
According to the Contractor General the approval means Air Jamaica, Petrojam, the Jamaica Tourist Board and Jamaica Vacations Limited are exempt from certain government procurement guidelines.
The OCG says two of these Public Bodies have been authorized to execute certain procurements and award certain Government contracts using their own unique but un-specified internal systems.
The other two have been authorized to procure goods and services according to standard industry practice.
The Contractor General says the exemptions were among several previously approved by Cabinet in December 2007, without prior notice to the OCG.
Mr. Christie said the measures were withdrawn after he wrote to the Prime Minister to protest his office being bypassed in the consultation process.
But now it seems that despite his vigorous objections, the Government seems determined to press ahead with the exemptions.
The Contractor General noted that the Auditor General and the Contractor General have consistently proven that there are problems with self-regulation of Public sector entities.
He adds that all OCG Special Investigations over the past two years have disclosed wide-scale breaches.
The OCG says it is concerned that if the Government proceeds with the exemptions, they will reverse the gains made in the Public Sector procurement system.
In turn, he says this will tarnish the credibility of government's claims that it wants transparency, accountability and discipline in public contracting.
The Contractor General queries what will become of these exempted Public Bodies if and when the present administration criminalizes breaches of government guidelines as it has promised to do.
He gave notice, that the OCG, in keeping with it's duties under the law, will be obliged to utilize all means available to subject the exempted entities, their officers and their contracting practices, to an intensified and sustained level of scrutiny, the likes of which will be unprecedented in the 23 year history of the OCG.
As a parting shot in his release, The Contractor General said is it his job, as an Independent Commission of Parliament, to stand firmly between the government and the taxpayer, as an inviolable check and balance.
http://www.radiojamaica.com/content/view/12097/26/
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }In a release Thursday Contractor General Greg Christie strongly objected to the exemptions to four public bodies.
The changes were approved by Cabinet in August and published on September 22 by the Finance Ministry.
According to the Contractor General the approval means Air Jamaica, Petrojam, the Jamaica Tourist Board and Jamaica Vacations Limited are exempt from certain government procurement guidelines.
The OCG says two of these Public Bodies have been authorized to execute certain procurements and award certain Government contracts using their own unique but un-specified internal systems.
The other two have been authorized to procure goods and services according to standard industry practice.
The Contractor General says the exemptions were among several previously approved by Cabinet in December 2007, without prior notice to the OCG.
Mr. Christie said the measures were withdrawn after he wrote to the Prime Minister to protest his office being bypassed in the consultation process.
But now it seems that despite his vigorous objections, the Government seems determined to press ahead with the exemptions.
The Contractor General noted that the Auditor General and the Contractor General have consistently proven that there are problems with self-regulation of Public sector entities.
He adds that all OCG Special Investigations over the past two years have disclosed wide-scale breaches.
The OCG says it is concerned that if the Government proceeds with the exemptions, they will reverse the gains made in the Public Sector procurement system.
In turn, he says this will tarnish the credibility of government's claims that it wants transparency, accountability and discipline in public contracting.
The Contractor General queries what will become of these exempted Public Bodies if and when the present administration criminalizes breaches of government guidelines as it has promised to do.
He gave notice, that the OCG, in keeping with it's duties under the law, will be obliged to utilize all means available to subject the exempted entities, their officers and their contracting practices, to an intensified and sustained level of scrutiny, the likes of which will be unprecedented in the 23 year history of the OCG.
As a parting shot in his release, The Contractor General said is it his job, as an Independent Commission of Parliament, to stand firmly between the government and the taxpayer, as an inviolable check and balance.
http://www.radiojamaica.com/content/view/12097/26/
He indicated that the views expressed by the Contractor General or representatives of his office were taken into account in a series of meetings with the Prime Minister, the NCC, Attorney General and the Cabinet Office.
Comment