Procurement bill goes to Parliament Friday

The government of Trinidad and Tobago on Friday plans to proceed with its legislation in Parliament for a procurement bill to replace the Central Tenders Act.

This is in keeping with a pledge by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to have greater transparency and accountability in how government spends public money.

During the election campaign as opposition leader Persad-Bissesssar pledged that the bill would be a top priority, noting that the Manning administration had refused to introduce such legislation although it was on the UNC government's agenda when Manning took office in 2001.

Persad-Bissesssar was Attorney General at the time. She promised to "dust off" the document and reintroduce it in Parliament to guarantee that there would be no abuse of public funds through a lack of transparency.

The government ask Parliament to appoint a Joint Select Committee to consider the bill. It will:

• examine the Legislative Proposals
• consult with stake holders and interested persons
• send for papers, records and other documents
• recommend amendments to the proposals with a view to improving the drafts
• submit a report to Parliament within three months from the date of appointment

On Friday the government will also ask the House of Representatives to approve the appointment of Dwayne Gibbs as Commissioner of Police.

Gibbs is the the second highest graded candidate on the said merit list. Last week the House rejected the top graded nominee, Neal Parker citing a perceived conflict of interest. Both men are Canadians.