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THE Prime Minister believes the Opposition fears the Cabinet, ministerial and governmental authority. Because of this, he said, it is trying to “tie the government’s hands” by not supporting proposed amendments to the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
The bill – which amends the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Act 2015 – was debated in Parliament on Friday afternoon. The bill was passed without Opposition support on votes of 21 for, 18 against. Previously, it was only partially proclaimed.
Dr Rowley said regulations were “settled upon” in October. But he said in developing regulations, there were “one or two things that were, what we call, impractical.”
One proposed amendment (section 7 (2)) is to remove the Office of Procurement Regulation (OPR) from overseeing government-to-government arrangements.
The Opposition is against this proposal.
During her contribution, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar said this should continue as government-to-government arrangements have been “full of corruption and scandal.”
But Rowley said Government’s responsibility is “rooted in the representation of the People’s Act.”
“And if there are certain responsibilities which devolve to us and our portfolios, who is it saying to us today, ‘Let somebody else have that responsibility – not you who represent the people.’ That 'somebody' who will not be able to or not be interested in holding responsibility.
“That is a gross misrepresentation of the role of the regulator. The regulator is not to be a procurer. So what is this big thing about if this is taken out of the law, the regulator will not be able to function because the law that created the regulator would be gutted?
“They like the phrase gutting the law, but when you have nothing to argue, you argue the law.”
Rowley said of all those on government’s payroll, the only ones that can be held accountable are government ministers.
“Even in people’s private homes, you’re held accountable 24 hours a day.
“This country holds its Cabinet responsible for every single governmental action.”
He reminded Persad-Bissessar that by law, a procurement unit is to be established.
“When we didn’t have this, we had a lot of corrupt people interfering with public money and being very corrupt about it.
“What the procurement law does, Madam Speaker, is to multiply those opportunities throughout the public service and throughout the country. And we hope and we trust that we have become less corrupt because we are going to have many more opportunities for many more people to engage themselves in corruption.”
He said had it not been for government-to-government arrangements, there would be no inter-island ferries.
“And the Opposition would have loved that. They would have preferred to say there’s no ferry service between Trinidad and Tobago and the government fall down and all fall down and all ah we go dead. That’s what they wanted.
“And I make no apologies as Prime Minister of TT for using my authority and approaching the government of Australia and getting it done spectacularly.”
He said Government stands by its position on the matter as it is reasonable and “we can justify it to the people of TT.”
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