Trinidad and Tobago: Senate approves Procurement Bill Other Services

The Senate collectively approved the New Procurement Bill last night, by a vote of 28 for, unanimous, no abstentions, the long awaited call for the bill comes to end by approval from the Government. Opposition and Independent Senators, clears the first hurdle towards becoming legislation.

The Bill next moves to the House of Representatives. It took two days as senators judged over amendments to as well as objections to the bill during the committee stage.

An amendment to exempt legal services from the provision of the bill proposed by the Attorney General, Anand Ramlogan at the committee stage, which even lead to overwhelming differences and the Attorney General, admitted that it was not favoured. Concerns that the provisions of the bill conflicted with the provisions of the Legal Profession Act which states that lawyers should not solicit legal work was earlier expressed by the Attorney General. It was opposed to that background that he had made the proposal, however the proposal was discarded.

In order to avoid the tendering improprieties, bid-rigging and corruption this has represented the award of public projects under the past and present administrations, in the country, the requirement of proper procurement legislation was long argued by The Joint Consultative Council.

The New Bill is programmed to implement for Public Procurement and for the retention and disposal of public property in harmony with the principles of good governance, namely accountability, integrity, transparency and value for money.