Georgetown: Government is ready to fast-track the establishment of the constitutionally required Public Procurement Commission (PPC) as it has identified its nominees to the Commission. However, this process is severely affected by the non-participation of the opposition People’s Progress Party in the National Assembly. Also affected by this non-participation is the setting up of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which is traditionally chaired by an opposition member and is the constitutional route of appointing the PPC.
Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman has advised that the establishment of the Procurement Commission must be given two-third support of the National Assembly. The Minister explained that as soon as the PAC is in place, the Government will move to make the establishment of the Procurement Commission the first order of business in the House.
“We can’t as a Government put in place a Public Procurement Commission the way it is designed in the constitution without the support or assistance of the opposition,” he said.
The establishment of this Commission is one of the 21 listed items the APNU+AFC committed to fulfilling within the first 100-day in office as Government. Justifying the delay in executing this, Minister Trotman explained that it was the belief of the APNU+AFC that the opposition would have accepted its role as opposition and would have joined with the Government in the National Assembly to have this Commission established by now.
Minister Trotman was at the time responding to questions from members of the media at the post cabinet press briefing at the Ministry of the Presidency. When asked why Cabinet has not pushed for a substitute committee in the interim, especially to oversee the procurement of medical supplies, Minister Trotman explained, “We are not at a chronic or critical period where our procurement issues have a national effect. We believe that based on what we see and from the posturing of the opposition, we are likely to have an opposition in the National Assembly quite shortly so therefore, the process, … the formal and identifiable and legal process, could be implemented relatively soon.”
Should the current situation prolong with the opposition absence from Parliament, Minister Trotman advised that Government would have to put other measures in place after seeking legal advice.
