PM: All BAMSI contracts insured

Prime Minister Perry Christie

As of Thursday, March 19, 2015

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Perry Christie told reporters yesterday that Ministry of Works officials were now sure that all of the contractors working at the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute have insurance.

He also urged the Public Accounts Committee to widen the perimeters of its planned probe into expenditure by the ministry to include contracts signed during the previous Ingraham administration.

His call came after the Free National Movement’s accusations that protocol may have been broken in the issuing of BAMSI contracts.

In the House of Assembly yesterday, Mr Christie suggested that the contents of files from the Ministry of Works could uncover wrongdoing under the previous FNM government, implying some policies were not adhered to during the tenure of former Works Minister Neko Grant.

However, Mr Grant shot back at these accusations.

This came after PAC Chairman Hubert Chipman requested that the Speaker of the House Kendal Major sanction a public hearing on matters related to BAMSI. Mr Chipman asked that the hearing be televised live.

“Mr Speaker I have always said the opposition has the majority members of the Public Accounts Committee,” Mr Christie said. “They should avail themselves of it as to the nature of the request.

“But accountability, Mr Speaker goes to whether or not in the Ministry of Works there was a culture that even enveloped the Member of Parliament for Central Grand Bahama (Neko Grant) who was the Minister of Works.

“Just as they put into the public domain today there is something scant with the process of the contract with BAMSI I would wish the member to note and the people of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas (would note) that when the committee meets they should request contracts that I will point out to them that they should ask for. So the country (can) be able to understand whether the current Minister of Works (Philip “Brave” Davis) is the only minister that has had such a challenge. That is what the committee is for.

“We are going to use it as a teachable moment and therefore I simply say that that is what is going to happen in the Public Accounts Committee.”

The comments triggered a passionate response from Mr Grant who insisted that he has never presented misinformation to Parliament.

Mr Grant said: “Mr Speaker I would just like to say that during my watch if protocol was broken it is wrong. The point I wish to make here that as the member at the time for works and transport I never came in this House and told an unmitigated untruth about a contract. Never have I as Minister of Public Works and transport misled the House.”

During his request for the special PAC hearing, Mr Chipman said democracy demanded that all those people associated with BAMSI answer before the public and the committee.

“Mr Speaker, Parliament is often referred to as the people’s house, we are the people’s representative and we perform the people’s business. This business should be performed in the sunshine. Democracy demands that those responsible for BAMSI answer to the public,” Mr Chipman said.

“The information which has been revealed to date suggests that grave breeches of protocol, which have resulted in the substantial loss of public funds and, unless addressed, will continue to destroy the nation.”

Last week Mr Davis revealed that contrary to what he said in the House of Assembly on February 25, the $2.6m BAMSI male dormitory was never covered by a contractor’s all risk insurance. Mr Davis has said the dormitory will cost $5.5m to rebuild.

He had initially said the dormitory was without insurance at the time of the January 15 fire because the contractor, Audley Hanna of Paradigm Construction, allowed the policy to lapse.

When asked to respond to criticisms that BAMSI contracts were given to only PLP supporters, Mr Christie yesterday said he was not sure, but he “hoped the majority of them are (given to PLPs).” He said it was the practice of the previous FNM government to give contracts to its supporters.

proudloudandfnm 9 years, 1 month ago

What a pathetic "leader" we have. Coward among cowards. Too afraid to accept responsibility...

I wouldn't hire Perry Christie to run a chicken shack... Pathetic...

Economist 9 years, 1 month ago

This all leads to fact that we need a FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT. This would stop all this political foolishness.

Contracts should be put out to bid and given out to the most competent contractor who is able to do the same at the most reasonable price. It should not be based on price alone. When you build your house you consider the prior work done by the contractors, go with a competent one at the best price, not the lowest.

We the people want quality work done on our publicly owned buildings, by quality builders, regardless of political affiliation.

Regardless 9 years, 1 month ago

Totally ridiculous this has to be confirmed. Having insurance on any government contract is a no brainer. It is a must! The fact that this had to be investigated is a national embarrassment. How do they expect international lending agencies to consider them serious when they advance funds for contracts with no evidence of insurance.

DonAnthony 9 years, 1 month ago

The public accounts committee should hold public hearings into the Bamsi contracts, and any other ones for that matter. We as taxpayers deserve to know if these funds were disbursed erroneously to Mr. Hanna either through negligence on the part of civil servants or through coercing of them by our political leaders. Call all the relevant parties to testify under oath and let the chips fall where they may, a precedent must be set if we are to improve governance in this country that if you are negligent or crooked your dishonesty will be exposed and that there will be consequences. Furthermore, can the tribune publish the names of the civil servants who vetted and approved the disbursement of funds erroneously to Mr. Hanna, we as taxpayers who pay these civil servants salaries deserve to know as we are their employers. If the contracts were tabled in parliament this should be readily available.

duppyVAT 9 years, 1 month ago

To hear them say "I cannot recall"????????????????

DonAnthony 9 years, 1 month ago

Yes, public shaming works. It is how we got Mr. miller to pay some of his electricity bill and our Governor General to pay her property taxes.

ThisIsOurs 9 years, 1 month ago

A teachable moment??? Who have you surrounded yourself with? A bunch of dummies? If these grown men don't know that when you launch a project you identify and mitigate risks get rid of them. They are UNTEACHABLE!!!!

Secondly, were the 13 contractors ALL insured at the time they were awarded their FIRST cheque and third what is the effective date of the insurance contracts?

TalRussell 9 years, 1 month ago

Comrade PLP’s, short changing the public smacks of the PLP cabinet, being in a spinning out of control, towards a complete BAMSI meltdown. Understandably, no PM wants to be at the center of a BAMSI, but sometimes it’s just what a PM has to deal with. The danger is when a PM’s reaction, only contributes to turning BAMSI into a full-blown crisis.
Unfortunately, proactive insurance planning doesn’t seem be the norm for this PLP Cabinet. Given the amount of media coverage on BAMSI, it’s amazing when the PLP Cabinet, are still not prepared for shooting straight with taxpayers. This is a bit much to pretend the PLP Cabinet acted responsibly over insurance, acting more like a fire was something that could only happen to those other less fortunate (taxpayers) people. Ah, but isn’t the case at BAMSI, cuz there is and never was a policy in place to provide economic relief for peoples public treasury, from responsibility for what has now become some 5.2 millions dollars.
This is a Cabinet, ducking the taking of “collective” responsibility?
Comrades, just the way I see it.

B_I_D___ 9 years, 1 month ago

Why does it always come back to having to review the previous governments actions as if to try to justify your current wrong doing? Not just the PLP,, FNM have, and I am sure will do it as well if re-elected...you get caught in a scandal, and because you are not willing to deal with it properly...well...let's just go back through the previous governments contracts as well and prove that they did it as well...as if that gives them some sort solace that continuing to do it was OK or acceptable.

Were they all put up for competitive bids?

Who is insuring the contracts? Again are certain insurance companies benefiting more than others? Are the bids competitive?

Which law firms are representing the bidders who win the contracts? Again any favouritism?

What is the original contract price? What at the end of the day is the Ministry paying out?

Of course none of this will happen.

All dat VAT money gone to waste going forward.

What a big joke on the Bahamian people.

Sign in to comment

Or login with:

OpenID

The Tribune