June 1, 2021
Daniel Ferguson
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DANIEL FERGUSON: Gov’t cultural change need on procurement
I realise that during this election season in The Bahamas there will be a lot of political rhetoric spoken while the various parties are on the campaign trail, and much of it is not worth responding to or commenting on. I must say, though, how disappointed I am that the Prime Minister dismissed as mere “foolishness” the allegations made against both Desmond Bannister and Adrian Gibson in relation to contracts awarded in their respective areas of responsibility. This is particularly because these claims, though denied, have not been fully addressed by the duo with the Public Procurement Act 2021 now into its second week of existence.
Water Corp controversy highlights reform need
I was extremely reluctant to write this article because it is political “silly season”, and at this time whatever one says or does in our polarised country, you are then labelled as being affiliated with a certain party.
Govt must talk less, show more over procurement transparency
It was really not my intention to write another article before September, but so much has been happening on the public procurement front lately that I believe I am duty bound to respond to these issues.
DANIEL FERGUSON: Procurement e-portal not being maximised
I wish to now elaborate more on the electronic portal that is the Bahamian government’s e-procurement supplier registry.
DANIEL FERGUSON: When competitive bids do not apply
Iwant to educate the Bahamian people about the process which allows the Government to forego competitive bidding processes in emergency situations, which allows them to request one bid for goods, works and services.
Procurement reform hit by resistance to change
It was not my intention to write another article until the end of September, as I wanted to give the government the benefit of the doubt regarding its self-imposed September 1, 2021, timeline for when the Public Procurement Act will take effect. However, on Monday, the prime minister during his closing remarks in the budget debate referred to me publicly by warning that “if you push me enough” the details of my personal files when I was employed at the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) and the Ministry of Health will be revealed.
PM fires warning shot over procurement whistleblower
The prime minister yesterday seemingly threatened to disclose personnel file details on a former government employee who wrote an article challenging the administration’s procurement reform implementation.
Salvage reforms to public procurement
In my last article I neglected to define what public procurement is. Public procurement refers to the purchase by governments and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) of goods, services and works. As public procurement accounts for a substantial portion of taxpayer monies, governments are expected to carry it out efficiently and using best international practices. This is critical for ensuring high quality service delivery and safeguarding the public interest.
DANIEL FERGUSON: Raising concerns on procurement reform
The Government of the Bahamas, almost one year after introducing the Public Procurement Bill to Parliament, finally passed the same on March 15, 2021. However, according to officials at the Ministry of Finance, the Act is not to come into effect until September 2021. This is the second administration to pass such a Bill, as the previous administration passed the Financial Administration and Audit Act 2013, which never came into effect.
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