“[…] The PS suggested that the powers-that-be were hell-bent on adopting this most unsuitable legislation to please a very well-meaning, vocal, but uninformed interest group. “[…] He lamented the apparent absence of a thorough, comprehensive and detailed analysis by the relevant business organisations/interests, especially in the small and micro sub-sector. It …
Read More »Demming: Commendable that Gov’t proclaimed Procurement Legislation; but keep Lalchan!
“[…] The theft of billions of dollars could have been prevented if we had a fully functional [Office of Procurement Legislation] according to acceptable legislation. We cannot underestimate the lost opportunity to have invested those stolen funds to take care of our social needs, such as health, education, utilities and infrastructure, and more. …
Read More »Noble: Listen to Afra and get cracking on public procurement legislation
Harvard Business Review (April 2019) warned that perfectionism is a double-edged sword that can either motivate you to deliver high-quality work or cause you much anxiety and slow you down. Are we witnessing this play out with the many iterations of the procurement legislation saga, or is it something else? …
Read More »Noble: CoP’s upgraded ‘Cockroaches’ philosophy arms the ‘well off’; the rest of us are mere targets
Trinidad and Tobago did not buy ‘cat in bag’ when we hired Mr Gary Griffith. We knew full well what to expect. In October 2015, then Minister of National Security Edmund Dillon reported on his predecessor’s bid to purchase armoured vehicles for the police service: ‘Unknown to the PS and …
Read More »Demming: Government repeating mistakes with procurement
I grew up hearing an anecdote that the late former member of parliament for Diego Martin West, Johnny O’Halloran, and a contingent went to Venezuela to negotiate the purchase of a boat, and the only member of the contingent who could translate Spanish into English was the cook. So, the …
Read More »‘Dangerous to the extreme!’ MSJ points to ‘disturbing’ amendments proposed for Public Procurement Act
“[…] The proposal to amend the act by making the procurement by ‘public bodies or state-controlled enterprises of legal services; financial services; accounting and audit services; medical services; or such other services as the minister may, by order, determine […] subject to negative resolution of Parliament’ exempt from the requirements …
Read More »Transparency needed! Dumas, Hart and Raymond urge Carmona to heed Uff’s procurement advice
“[…] Contracts, particularly large-scale ones, should not be awarded without elementary transparency so that the public can be assured of straight dealings. The appointment of the Procurement Regulator, albeit an employment contract, will be one of the most critical contract awards in the history of our Republic.” The following letter, signed by Afra Raymond, Reginald Dumas and …
Read More »Fixin’ T&T: Rowley did right thing; but procurement legislation and stronger DPP needed
Civic watch group, Fixin’ T&T, has congratulated Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley for doing “the right thing” in dismissing Housing and Urban Development Minister Marlene McDonald. However, the group also urged Rowley to prioritise meaningful legislation on procurement, campaign financing, party financing and whistle blowing and create a more financially …
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