MSJ: Procurement law not enough

THE Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) is not satisfied with Government's recent announcement that the Public Procurement Act will be fully proclaimed later this month.

In a statement on April 20, Attorney General Reginald Armour, SC, said Cabinet had earlier approved the full proclamation of all remaining sections of the Public Procurement And Disposal of Public Property Act, which will take effect from April 26,

In a statement on Sunday, MSJ political leader David Abdulah said, "It has always been the MSJ’s position that public procurement law is one vitally important element if the country is to tackle the widespread scourge of corruption."

While describing the full proclamation of the act as a case of better late than never, Abdulah said proper public procurement law is but one weapon in the war against corruption and white-collar crime.

He identified campaign finance legislation as another important weapon to win that war.

Abdulah slammed the Government and Opposition for not being serious by ensuring this kind of legislation comes into effect in the shortest possible time.

"The MSJ demands that the joint select committee (JSC) of Parliament set up in December 2020 – two and a half years ago – to examine and report on the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, which deals with this issue – urgently completes its work and that the Parliament passes legislation well before the next elections (local government and general) take place."

Abdulah said citizens must be reminded that when the bill was laid in Parliament in December 2020, stakeholders were asked to submit their comments on it then, and the deadline for those submissions was extended to March 2021.

He claimed that to date that the JSC "has been pussyfooting on this issue."

Abdulah said the new deadline for submission of comments on the bill to the JSC is now August 31.

He claimed neither the PNM nor the UNC is interested in campaign finance legislation, because "both benefit from huge sums given by financiers."

Abdulah also claimed those financiers expect both parties to reward them in certain ways for their support.

He also said neither the PNM nor the UNC had made any written submissions on the legislation to the JSC up to the committee's last report to Parliament last September.

Abdulah reiterated the MSJ's call for the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) to be removed from the Finance Ministry and become "an independent institution with the resources and power to investigate all suspicious transactions."

He said this would allow the FIU to obtain evidence which can be used to prosecute people "who are involved in money laundering and other illegal financial activity."

Abdulah added that closely tied in the work of the new FIU must be an "aggressive seizure" of assets if people cannot explain how they acquired them.