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OPPOSITION Chief Whip David Lee told Newsday on Monday that, as of now, he expects the Opposition to attend the House of Representatives on Wednesday to debate the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2023, to alter the 2015 procurement act.
The House will sit in an extraordinary sitting on Wednesday at 1.30 pm, after the Prime Minister last week told a PNM rally in Tunapuna that changes must be made to the act, following Finance Minister Colm Imbert issuing a retroactive order to approve $9 million spent hosting the recent Caricom Heads summit in Port of Spain.
Lee said, "I think that so far the consensus is not to give this Government a free pass. Those amendments go against the whole objective of the procurement act.
"And where will it end? If they do it on Wednesday to adjust certain things, they will continue to adjust as they go along."
Lee said the Government had important points to make over the new bill.
"I'm about 80 per cent we will be in Parliament. We will not give them a free pass. We are against what they are bringing ."
Lee said the bill would produce watered-down version of procurement legislation.
"We will make some points, hopefully. They have the majority of votes in the House and it's a simple majority.
"It has to go to the Senate for ratification and I hope when it goes to the Senate those Independent Senators really understand what they are doing and not just rubber stamp this Government." Lee hoped voices in civil society would speak out against the bill.
He chided the Government over its lapse in procurement for the recent Caricom summit, saying the Government would have know of this event well in advance.
"Heads of State do not just pick up themselves one morning and say they are coming to visit TT.
"There is ample time to do proper procurement purchasing or bids and assessment of contractors."
Lee lamented, "There is an amendment they are bringing such that for anything under $1 million, basically they don't need to follow procurement procedures. They don't need to do any proper procurement process once it is under $1 million."
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