By Clint Chan Tack Wednesday, June 6 2007

PRIME MINISTER Patrick Manning yesterday disclosed that implementation of Government’s new public sector procurement regime has been delayed once again.

In expressing his disappointment with the delay, TT Transparency Institute chairman Victor Hart said it was possible that some of the alleged corruption emerging from the Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Public Health Services could have been stymied if this regime was in place. The report was laid in the House of Representatives last Friday.

Responding to concerns raised by the Joint Consultative Council (JCC) during a “Breakfast with the Prime Minister” meeting at the Crowne Plaza in Port-of-Spain, Manning said it would be difficult to implement the new public procurement regime in its present form.

To do so he explained, could slow down the rate of Government’s national development initiatives at a time when the population was clamouring for improved delivery of goods and services.

Manning said Government intended to review the proposed public sector procurement policy and speak with key stakeholders, such as the JCC, about how best it could be implemented.

JCC’s Winston Riley told the PM that some of the problems the country was witnessing in public sector procurement could have been prevented if the regime was operational.

Expressing concern about the alarming disclosures made in the Gladys Gafoor Commission’s health report, Hart said the proposed public sector procurement regime might have been able to prevent some of the instances of alleged corruption in the health sector if it had been implemented.

He recalled that Manning had promised in his 2005 Budget presentation and again in last year’s Budget presentation, that the new regime would be implemented.

The regime would be applicable to all regional health authorities, government ministries, state enterprises, regional corporations and statutory boards.

Expressing concern about Government’s rapid developmental thrust, Calder Hart said the regime would also be useful in ensuring greater transparency of mega projects such as the Port-of-Spain Waterfront.

He said if Government believed that parts of the legislation were flawed, they could publish it for public comment. Hart added that he was concerned that Parliament could be dissolved for General Elections before the regime could be made law.