Tyrone Reid, Staff Reporter
IN A bid to stop thousands of Government contracts from escaping independent scrutiny, Contractor General Greg Christie has demanded that all Government ministries and public bodies furnish him with detailed information on contracts that fall in the $250,000-$4 million range.
The new regulatory regime, which comes into effect on May 1, will not be retroactive. However, the Contractor General insists that the extensive particulars being requested must be sent to him on a monthly basis.
FULL COMPLIANCE
"Public bodies which have violated government procurement guidelines in the past, will now have little or no alternative but to award contracts in full compliance with the established procurement procedures or face public exposure and/or criminal sanctions," the Contractor General warned in a statement yesterday.
Mr. Christie warned further that failure to provide the required contract award particulars would constitute a criminal offence under the Contractor General Act and that a person who wilfully misleads or makes a false statement to mislead his office would be similarly liable.
The new measures will apply to all classifications of Government contracts, inclusive of works and construction contracts as well as contracts for the supply of goods and services.
Mr. Christie, acting under the powers vested in him by the Contractor General Act, yesterday wrote to the Cabinet Secretary, the Financial Secretary and all Permanent Secretaries, making his demand known.
The letter was copied to all Government ministers, the Auditor General, the Solicitor General and the chairman of the National Contracts Commission.
A separate letter was penned and sent to Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, to formally advise her of the requisition under the new regulatory regime.
Earlier this year, the Contractor General raised cogent concerns that thousands of Government contracts valued under $4 million issued each year were slipping through the cracks of the monitoring process as his administration did not have the manpower or finances to monitor them.
Mr. Christie stressed yesterday that no Government or quasi Government body would be exempt from the imminent measures.
"The regulatory regime will impact not just ministries of Government, but all public bodies, as is defined by the Contractor General Act," he said.
