Opposition calls for systems to prevent breach of gov't procurement guidelines

 

The parliamentary opposition says appropriate systems should be implemented to prevent further breaches of the Ministry of Finance's procurement guidelines. 

 

It comes on the heels of an Integrity Commission report concerning the Ministry of Health's award of contracts to Market Me Consulting. 

 

The government contracts, worth nearly $80 million, were awarded to the consulting firm between January 2016 and December 2020 for the Jamaica Moves campaign. 

 

The IC report concluded that the use of direct contracting breached the Ministry of Finance's guidelines, which limit this method to contracts valued below $1.5 million. 

 

Opposition Spokesperson on Justice Zuleika Jess says such breaches will result in further distrust by members of the public in relation to the awarding of government contracts. 

 

"We are firmly of the view that that failure to disclose, which later on would have resulted in Market Me being awarded contracts valued at approximately $80 million. It smacks, it betrays public confidence again in the procurement system, in the manner in which government contracts are awarded. 

 

"There is a general feeling in Jamaica that you must have contacts in order to get contracts. And this particular scenario that is playing out in the public right now seems to confirm the public's general view, that in Jamaica it is about who you know. It is not so much about your qualifications, it is not so much about how good you are at the job that you do. It is about who knows you and who you know in return," she contended.

 

Ms. Jess was speaking Wednesday on Power Talk on Power106 FM.