MORE THAN half-a-billion dollars worth of government contracts were endorsed by the National Contracts Commission during April and May, according to information obtained from the Office of the Contractor-General.
Contracts are awarded by the actual government ministry or agencies while the Contractor General is only responsible for monitoring and investigating the award and implementation of the contracts. Both reports from the department indicate that about three dozen contracts totalling almost $547 million were endorsed by the Commission over the past two months. Most of the contracts - 22 with a total value of $299 million - were endorsed in April while June was responsible for the remaining 15, totalling $248 million.
The majority of the contracts awarded by the respective ministries or government agencies covered work to be done in national security, education, local government and social services. Eight endorsed contracts in April, totalling a little over $124 million, were for work to be done at the island's ports. The biggest beneficiary was Norman Manley International Airports Limited, where it is proposed to spend almost US$1 million ($65 million) to obtain an aircraft rescue and fire-fighting vehicle for the airport.
This was followed by a $19 million contract for the Port Authority of Jamaica to supply LXE Mobile Computer devices for Kingston Container Terminals while the Airports Authority of Jamaica submitted a contract of $10 million for the supply of information systems equipment for the Norman Manley International Airport.
In other areas of security, the Ministry of National Security submitted approved contracts, in April, for $4 million to repair and renovate the August Town Police Station while the Ministry of Justice approved two contracts totalling $17 million to install computer equipment at the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
The lion's share of endorsed contracts in May went to the University of Technology where some $77 million will be spent to expand the computer and engineering extension centre.
