PNM Tobago head to THA: Reveal procurement procedures

PNM Tobago Council political leader Ancil Dennis claims the latest Auditor General’s report into the operations of the Farley Augustine-led THA has raised grave concerns about the procurement processes used on at least four road projects.

And he is calling on Augustine and Secretary of Infrastructure, Quarries and Urban Development Trevor James to reveal the procedures used in the construction of King’s Peter’s Bay Road, Moriah; Milford Court-Pigeon Point Connector Road; Smithsfield-Dutchfort Connector Road, Scarborough; and the Shirvan-Store Bay Local Connector Road, Friendship Estate.

In May, High Court judge Frank Seepersad granted an ex-parte injunction to the Environmental Management Authority (EMA), which had complained in an emergency application that it did not grant the requisite approvals for the Shirvan-Store Bay Connector Road.

At that time, the EMA’s managing director, Hayden Romano alleged that the THA, either by itself or through the Division of infrastructure, or its contractor, had not applied for a certificate of environmental clearance, in breach of the EMA Act and the CEC 2001 order.

During a news conference on Tuesday at the Tobago Council’s headquarters, Scarborough, Dennis read from section 6.82 of the report, which, he claimed, said that procurement procedures were not presented for audit examination.

“Therefore the auditor general was not able to verify whether proper procurement procedures were followed for the development programme projects.”

He challenged Augustine and James to reveal the THA’s procurement processes and procedures.