Finance and the Economy Minister Larry Howai says the much anticipated new procurement legislation is not likely to be implemented within the next year. He revealed that during yesterday’s public Standing Committee meeting of the House of Representatives on the 2015 budget in response to a question from People’s National Movement (PNM) MP Colm Imbert.
It was the first time such a meeting was being held in public and the session looked at the provisions of the budget line by line, as Opposition MPs were allowed to ask questions and obtain detailed answers. The session looked at the provisions in the budget for the Ministry of Finance and the Economy first and then the Office of the Prime Minister.
Imbert reminded legislators that Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar had said previously that it was her Government’s intention to have the new procurement legislation enacted early in the current term. He wanted to know why the Central Tenders Board allocation for 2015 was being increased from $7.1 million in 2014 to $7.2 million in the wake of the proposed new procurement regulator. But Howai said it was unlikely the new legislation would be implemented soon.
“There will be a period of time before we could move from the Central Tenders Board to the procurement regulator,” he said. He said consultants have already been employed to start the transition process, but “it is a very complex transition, it is likely to take more than 12 months and in the circumstances and given the arrangements, we expect that we will need to carry the Central Tenders for at least 12 more months.”
In seeking clarification, Imbert asked if the minister was saying the existing procurement regime would remain in effect for one more year. Howai replied: “That is our projection and we have taken the conservative and more careful view that we have everything in place in the event that it goes for a longer period of time.”
Imbert also asked Howai to explain why there was a provision for $150 million for legal services in his ministry. Howai said that was for legal expenses incurred from the Clico/Hindu Credit Union matter and others. However, he was unable to give details. Earlier in yesterday’s session, leader of Government business, Housing Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal, told Opposition MPs that they should not seek to “hound down” ministers with questions.
“It is not in the interest of the process for anyone to be ‘ex-tempoing’ answers as we go along,” Moonilal said. Howai had cause to delay answers to many questions as he was unable to provide them at the time. Officials of the ministry were in the chamber to assist the minister. “We will not be forced to ex-tempo answers when there are critical questions. It is not every piece of information you can get in 20 minutes,” Moonilal added.
House Speaker Wade Mark, who had to call for order several times as MPs engaged in cross talk, then reminded the meeting that he had a specified time to complete deliberations on the 50 heads being questioned. He said he intended to “mash his gas” to ensure the exercise was completed in the specified timeframe. Mark later said the initial proposal to sit until 7 pm was not possible and the sitting would conclude at midnight and resume at 10 am today.
The $9 billion allocation for the Finance and Economy Minister was later approved.
