Gov’t compliance with procurement rules queried
Public Accounts Committee Chair Ezzard Miller remains concerned, following the latest PAC meeting, that government is not complying with its own new rules on procurement. Although new legislation has been implemented and a new more transparent, independent regime created to manage how government buys goods and services, Miller is worried the new rules are not being applied where it counts most.
During the hearings last week, Central Procurement Office Director Taraq Bashir appeared before the committee, alongside Financial Secretary Kenneth Jefferson, to answer questions about how the system is working.
Speaking to CNS after the meetings, Miller said he was concerned to learn that the rules are not being followed for the two major ongoing government projects, the airport and the port, which both began before the new system was implemented but are continuing well after.
He said that the law is very specific about who does what and when. Where government is acquiring goods or services or tendering for a major project involving public authorities, it is the boards, and not the ministry, that has the lead role in organising and assessing the bids.
But in the case of the airport re-development and the proposed cruise and cargo project, where both should have been handled by the relevant authority, the ministry has been much more closely involved than the law mandates, he said.
While the Cayman Islands Airport Authority (CIAA) has at least remained involved in the ongoing development, the Port Authority of the Cayman Islands (PACI) has been entirely pushed out of the cruise-cargo procurement process, Miller said.
The PAC chair also stated that by using the Freedom of Information Law to request correspondence, he has learned that there is no written correspondence between the tourism ministry and the port authority on the project.
“How can that be possible?” Miller asked, pointing out the law requires the authority to be running the process.
He said he was concerned that because the government began the process for both of these projects before the new procurement legislation and regime was implemented, they have been able to circumvent the rules, which he believes will have long-term negative consequences and prevent real scrutiny of how public cash is being used.
During the course of the hearing, however, Auditor General Sue Winspear stated that her office would examine all of the major capital projects that government undertakes, including the airport and the port.
Speaking to CNS after the meetings, Miller said he was concerned to learn that the rules are not being followed for the two major ongoing government projects, the airport and the port, which both began before the new system was implemented but are continuing well after.
He said that the law is very specific about who does what and when. Where government is acquiring goods or services or tendering for a major project involving public authorities, it is the boards, and not the ministry, that has the lead role in organising and assessing the bids.
But in the case of the airport re-development and the proposed cruise and cargo project, where both should have been handled by the relevant authority, the ministry has been much more closely involved than the law mandates, he said.
While the Cayman Islands Airport Authority (CIAA) has at least remained involved in the ongoing development, the Port Authority of the Cayman Islands (PACI) has been entirely pushed out of the cruise-cargo procurement process, Miller said.
The PAC chair also stated that by using the Freedom of Information Law to request correspondence, he has learned that there is no written correspondence between the tourism ministry and the port authority on the project.
“How can that be possible?” Miller asked, pointing out the law requires the authority to be running the process.
He said he was concerned that because the government began the process for both of these projects before the new procurement legislation and regime was implemented, they have been able to circumvent the rules, which he believes will have long-term negative consequences and prevent real scrutiny of how public cash is being used.
During the course of the hearing, however, Auditor General Sue Winspear stated that her office would examine all of the major capital projects that government undertakes, including the airport and the port.