House holds 2nd extraordinary sitting on Monday

THE House of Representatives will hold a second extraordinary sitting at the Red House on Monday from 1.30 pm.

The purpose of this sitting is to debate a motion to approve amendments made by the Senate to the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2023.

The Parliament, which is currently on its annual fixed recess, was recalled to pass the bill after flaws were identified in the procurement act.

The House sat on July 19 and passed the bill with amendments, by a vote of 22-16.

The Senate met on July 20 and the bill was passed with further amendments on July 21 around 2.38 am.

Once the House approves the Senate's amendments to the bill, it will go to the President for assent and subsequently be proclaimed into law.

Addressing a PNM meeting in Tunapuna on July 12, the Prime Minister said he instructed Leader of Government Business Camille Robinson-Regis to recall the House on July 19 to make amendments to the procurement legislation.

Dr Rowley said the current procurement arrangement cannot be allowed to stand because the Government would not be able to function. He lamented that the procurement act's requirements did not distinguish between buying trite items such as doubles and toilet paper and big items such as funding a highway.

At a news conference at her Siparia constituency office in Penal on July 13, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar said Government did not have the power to recall Parliament while it was on fixed recess.

She reiterated concerns the Opposition had about Government further watering down the procurement act.

During debate on the bill in the House on July 19, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young rejected claims from Persad-Bissessar and Barataria/San Juan MP Saddam Hosein that contracts under $1 million would not be scrutinised by the act.

"I want to put on the record that no one in the government has said that there should not be procurement rules and regulations and procedures and processes, with the procurement of anything under $1 million."

Young said unlike any of its recent predecessors, Government did not simply hand out contracts.

"That may have applied at a certain point in time. But it does not apply now under this government."

He added this was borne out in the provisions of the act.