A motion filed by the People’s National Congress Reform to have the Procurement Bill reviewed by the Parliamentary Sector Committee for Economic Services was denied by the Speaker of the National Assembly. But the party says it will continue its effort to have the shortcomings of the Bill addressed. According to party member, Sherwood Lowe, on July 31 the party had submitted a motion to the Clerk of the National Assembly. This motion, he said, sought to have the Procurement Bill reviewed by the Parliamentary Sector Committee for Economic Services. Lowe said the clerk has since replied, denying the motion on the instructions of the speaker. He told the media at a press conference last week Thursday that the party was told to approach the economic services sector committee directly to have the bill reviewed. Lowe said the PNCR wishes to advise the public that it would be approaching the sector committee to have the bill reviewed, since it was an issue of the utmost importance.

According to Lowe, the PNCR considered that the procurement system had been used as an instrument of marginalisation and discrimination since 1992. He said sweeping powers given to the Minister of Finance and the discretionary powers of procuring entities served to render the system unpredictable.

“The PNCR will continue to pursue this issue until the necessary adjustments are made. ”The PNCR said the procurement system had been rendered even more dubious by the non-establishment of the Public Procurement Commission. Lowe stated that the PPP/C had proposed that they be allowed to name three members to the commission and the PNCR two, claiming that the commission must be established in keeping with the parliamentary standing orders.