Manning announces enquiry into construction sector, UDeCOTT

Prime Minister Patrick Manning made an about turn in Parliament Friday and announced the establishment of a Commission of Enquiry into the construction sector, which would include UDeCOTT.

Manning made the suprise announced as parliamentary debate on the appointment of a Joint Select Committee to investigate UDeCOTT neared its end at 7.30 pm.

Manning told the House of Representatives when he proposed the JSC there were no specific allegations against UDeCOTT.

"Today for the first time, someone got up in this House and made a clear and specific allegation, as a consequence of which I am authorised by the Government to announce the establishment of a commission of enquiry into the construction industry," Manning told the House.

He was referring to comments made by Tabaquite MP Ramesh Maharaj, who spoke just before him.

Maharaj alleged that a locally-incorporated subsidiary of Sunway, a Malaysian company, had links to the wife of Udecott chairman Calder Hart.

See related story: Ramesh drops Calder Hart, UDeCOTT bombshell

Manning said the terms of reference would be:

• to enquire into the procurement practices in the public construction sector
• the effect of the use provisional sums, prime cost sums, nominated suppliers and nominated contractors in construction contracts in the public sector
• the effect of incomplete designs, design changes, variations, poor supervision and poor management on the cost and delivery of construction projects in the public sector
• the performance of local and foreign contractors and consultants on public sector projects
• the effectiveness of the turnkey approach, also called the design build approach, for the delivery of public sector construction projects as compared to the traditional design and tender approach
• the reasons for and the effect of cost overruns, delays and defective workmanship in public sector construction projects
• the existence of price gouging and profiteering in the public construction sector
• the procurement practices and methods of operation of Udecott
• to make such recommendations and observations arising out of these deliberations as the commission may deem appropriate to ensure that with respect to public sector construction projects and the procurement practices and methods of operation of Udecott taxpayers get value for money
• the delivery of projects, the highest standard of workmanship, quality, safety, the provision of quality of provision and practice are achieved and maintained
• there is free and fair competition, full participation and access for all citizens in the public procurement process
• the integrity and transparency in the public procurement practice is assured.

“I am also authorised to say that the commission of enquiry which will comprise four persons and will be chaired by Mr Gordon Deane, a former chairman of the Integrity Commission,” Manning said.

Manning said even though the Government believed the JSC approach was the superior approach, it had decided—in the face of the position taken by the Opposition and the possibility that the Independent senators might not wish to participate in the JSC—to go the route of the commission of enquiry.

“We hope that at the end of the day, truth will prevail and that Trinidad and Tobago will have a new system of operation in the construction sector...and that we will move inexorably on to the achievement of developed country status by the year 2020,” the prime minister said.