Independent senators told: Stand up, defend Procurement Act

OROPOUCHE East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal is appealing to independent senators to vote against Government’s proposed changes of the Procurement Act to allow for retroactive spending of goods and services.

The Prime Minister has sought permission to reconvene the House of Representatives, which is on vacation, to sit on Wednesday to make urgent changes to the act.

Rowley said if the law is not amended and sensible arrangements put in place, TT will grind to a halt.

Speaking on a UNC platform in Tarouba, San Fernando, on Saturday, Moonilal said after the Lower House adjudicates on the matter, where the Government has the majority, it must go to the Upper House.

He accused the Government of breaking the law and said because it got caught, it wants to convene Parliament and make adjustments.

He said there was provision for exemption for certain activities without procurement by affirmative resolution, which government wants to change to negative resolution.

Moonilal said the Government had ample time to seek an affirmative resolution for the recent Caricom anniversary celebrations since they were not a secret and Parliament had already approved $20 million for the event.

“Instead of coming to the Parliament, which was open at the time, they went secretly, surreptitiously and in a dastardly move, passed two orders to exempt goods and services.”

He said when this was exposed by UNC MP Saddam Hosein, “Imbert say,  'I did not act alone.' He threw the entire Cabinet under the bus.”

In this vein, he appealed to the independent benches “to stand up and stand strong for the affirmative resolution clause you put there.

“Stand up and strong and defend it with your life. Stand up and defend our democracy,” Moonilal said.

Moonilal said when the procurement law was introduced by the People's Partnership in 2012, two members of the then-opposition PNM who were part of the joint select committee on procurement failed to show, so there was no quorum and no meetings.

“They undermined the procurement legislation when they were in opposition and when we left government, they took six years to bring it back.

“They watered it down, exempting medical services, exempting government to government contracts, legal services.

“Come next week, they will want to undermine it again to change affirmative to negative resolution.”

Senator Jyanti Lutchmedial accused the government of wanting no oversight or accountability to spend millions, especially during an election campaign.

She said the procurement law was enacted to ensure election campaigns were not financed through state contracts.

“They want to legalise banditry and create avenues for corruption,” she charged.