Lalchan heads Procurement Board

Moonilal Lalchan, a former president of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, was appointed on Friday by President Anthony Carmona to head the Procurement Board and to be Procurement Regulator in a ceremony at President’s House, St Ann’s. Ten members received instruments of appointment, in line with the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Act 2015.

The board’s role is to run the Office of Procurement Regulation which seeks to establish best practice in procurement and keep a database of tenders and contracts. Speaking with reporters after the swearing-in, Lalchan said he was looking forward to hitting the ground with a board packed with expertise. He hoped to champion integrity, value for money and local content.

Asked if the board will examine the ongoing purchase of a ferry by a Cabinet sub-committee, he said the board must first meet but that it will look at whatever issues come before it under the act. While it is too early to single out any issue to probe, he said the board will meet and employ the process to do so.

He hoped to draw on best practice from the Public Service, adding, “We hope that one day through training and interaction with the state companies we’ll have less and less malpractice.

“The act gives us the authority on a regular basis and as we see fit to go into the organisation and do reviews, do audits and so on. So we can take it upon ourselves.

One of the things we can do on a regular basis is look at reviews across the state sector wherever public money is spent.”.

Asked if the board has similarly wide powers to probe things coming to its attention such as those enjoyed by the Integrity Commission, Lalchan replied yes. “As such, as we see fit, we have powers to investigate.”

Other board members:
David Charliere, accountant
Frederick Bowen, supply-chain manager
Dr Anthony Lamb, civil engineer
Robin Otway, attorney
Herdis Lee Chee, procurement manager
Lara Quentrall-Thomas, Human resource expert
Sandra Sammy, civil engineer
Nadine Bushell, project manager
Nikoli Edwards, youth advocate