Rowley: Government to amend Procurement Act next week

THE Prime Minister said the House of Representatives will sit next Wednesday to make urgent changes to the Procurement Act.

He was addressing a PNM rally at Hillview College, Tunapuna, on Thursday night.

Dr Rowley referred to the fact of Finance Minister Colm Imbert having to issue an order to retroactively approve spending on goods and services for last week's Caricom leaders meeting in TT. He said the present law meant no one could do business in a period of under two months, the time to facilitate tenders, responses and the input of an advisory committee on procurement.

"We have to come back to Parliament to amend it.

"If we don't pass a law to put sensible arrangements in place, TT will grind to a halt."

He said he had sworn an oath of office to put the people of TT first. He criticised the Opposition for complaining about Imbert using the law to give a procurement exemption for Caricom. "That's the kind of nonsense in this country!"

Rowley said the current procurement arrangement cannot be allowed to stand because the Government would not be able to function.

"Today, I have directed the Leader of Government Business (Camille Robinson-Regis) to recall Parliament on Wednesday next week.

"The Government will go to Parliament, use the majority you have given us, and make sensible amendments to the law.

"We are not afraid of Parliament or the court house but of being like them (the Opposition)."

He alleged that the Opposition was keenly awaiting to see what procurement arrangements would be in place for the upcoming Junior Commonwealth Games and the visit of the King of Ashante.

"The Government, which I lead with your support, will fix it."

Rowley revealed the Integrity Commission had contacted him to say they had no further interest in his purchase of a $1.2 million townhouse in Tobago, which critics had complained of.

"But the lie served its purpose," he added, noting that the criticisms had come at the time of an election for the Tobago House of Assembly (THA.)

Otherwise, he appealed to voters to choose PNM in the August 14 local government elections, citing the party's record in central government and its plans for local government reform, saying political rivals had no response to the latter.

He said reform would prevent a situation of a council's elected councillors complaining of being overridden by their CEO or a council having no resources to cut grass at its recreational parks.