The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

FINANCE Minister Michael Halkitis defended the Davis administration’s public procurement record yesterday, insisting the system is becoming more transparent despite opposition claims that ministries and state-owned enterprises have failed to comply with the law.

“What we are seeing today is not a system standing still, but one that is evolving, improving and becoming more transparent with each step forward,” he claimed during the budget debate.

His comments followed years of criticism from good governance advocates and Free National Movement leader Michael Pintard, who has repeatedly accused the Davis administration of misusing or ignoring procurement procedures, failing to meet disclosure requirements and awarding no-bid contracts.

A review of official procurement records shows that 927 of 3,881 categorised contracts were awarded without competitive bidding between December 2023 and December 2025.

Mr Halkitis claimed that competitive bidding remains the government’s standard approach to procurement, designed to ensure fairness, transparency and broad participation. He claimed sole-source awards are permitted only under specific conditions, including urgency, technical constraints or when only one qualified provider exists.

He said the government has awarded about 8,000 procurement opportunities worth $1.39bn since taking office, with much of the money supporting infrastructure projects, including the construction and repair of roads, government buildings, bridges and docks in the Family Islands, as well as airport terminals and runways.

“That is not just a statistic, that is real economic activity flowing into the Bahamian economy,” he added.

Mr Halkitis said the contracts included 29 major awards valued at more than $2.5m each, totalling about $569m and approved by Cabinet; 182 medium-sized contracts valued between $400,000 and $2.5m, totalling about $155m; and nearly 7,800 contracts under $400,000, worth about $666m and approved at the ministry level.

He said most of the contracts were awarded to Bahamian companies.

He said the government has published monthly reports since July 2024 detailing the procurement of goods, works and services nationwide.

“This means that procurement activity is no longer occasional or selective in its exposure. It is consistent, systematic, and transparent,” he said.

Mr Pintard disputed the claim, saying government ministries and state-owned enterprises have not made the disclosures required by law.

Mr Halkitis said he never claimed every government agency was already using the procurement system, but said the system continues to improve and expand.

He said the government is working to strengthen the process and improve transparency, adding that dozens of public servants from various agencies have completed procurement courses and received certification. He also pointed to upcoming procurement workshops.

Mr Halkitis said the ministry will soon conduct a comprehensive operational assessment of the procurement system from 2021 to 2026.

“It is envisaged that this report will provide valuable insights into areas where improvements can be made to enhance the existing procurement platform and will guide the development of policies to further strengthen the system,” he said.