Chambers, Minority endorse THA e-tender platform

TOBAGO stakeholders have welcomed the e-tender software platform being adopted by the Tobago House of Assembly.

On Tuesday, THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine launched an e-tender sensitisation initiative at the Shaw Park Cultural Complex. The initiative, he said is targeted at vendors, suppliers and contractors to change the way they tender for jobs and projects in the THA.

The assembly is partnering with Emerging Services and Innovation (TSTT) to roll out the initiative.

Speaking with Newsday on May 8, Head of the Tobago Division of the TT Industry of Chamber and Commerce Curtis Williams gave the initiative a thumbs up.

“I endorse it 101 per cent due to the fact that I’ve been using e-tender before with most of my suppliers and it has been very, very beneficial.

"A bit of transparency, moving away from the paper thing and who didn’t put in bid and take out bid – transparency would be 100 per cent.

"I wish all agencies of the government can look at it and adopt that process.”

He said he has been in talks with the chamber’s membership and they have shared similar sentiments.

“All my members love it – everyone loves it because it is a bit of transparency.

“We have so much issues with tenders being tampered with and people putting in this and all kind of craziness. It is a history of that we have here in Tobago and with this system, I think it would be an equitable situation and transparent. You can’t play with it, anybody plays with it you would leave a digital footprint – that is the great part about it.”

Head of the Tobago Business Chamber Martin George said the organisation also endorses the platform.

“I think it would speed up the ease of doing business and facilitating transactions. I think it’s definitely a good thing.”

THA Minority Leader Kelvon Morris said he is pleased to see it adopted by the THA as transparency is needed.

“This e-tender initiative is a welcomed initiative but it is important to note that this isn’t anything new or groundbreaking, because this is something that has been adopted by many state agencies in Trinidad and it is definitely something we welcome in the Tobago space.”

He said the Minority would have raised concerns regarding the “procurement process adopted by this administration which in most instances are quite questionable.”

“We have seen where $300 million in Tobago’s development money would have been spirited away to contractors in south Trinidad and in places and spaces that Tobagonians would never find on a map, and yet the process itself was quite questionable.

"We’ve seen companies who had absolutely no relationship with the THA prior to this administration being sole selected for contracts and all of that.

"So we do hope that this e-tender would bridge the gaps between the haves and the have nots. It would allow for a free and fair and transparent process where Tobagonians would get a better chance of actually being able to win contracts and do the jobs right here in Tobago for the benefit of Tobago.”