President proclaims Procurement Act

PRESIDENT Christine Kangaloo on Wednesday proclaimed dozens of sections of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Act, No. 1 of 2015.

The website of the Government Printery displayed this in the form of Legal Notice 106, No 5 of 2023.

Her proclamation said section 2 of the act says the act comes into operation on a date fixed by the President by proclamation and it was expedient for listed sections of the act to be proclaimed. Kangaloo signed the proclamation on April 25.

On Wednesday afternoon the Prime Minister obliquely referred to the act being proclaimed in an answer to the House of Representatives about the Office of Procurement Regulator (OPR) during Prime Minister's Questions.

While acting Procurement Regulator Robby Bhola at lunchtime told Newsday the OPR had not yet got word of any proclamation, though it had been constantly checking with the Office of the President and the Office of the Attorney General, he said the OPR has been getting ready for proclamation.

He said since 2018 the OPR had held sensitisation sessions and workshops.

"The OPR has had continuous interaction with many public bodies."

Bhola said since the announcement that the act would be proclaimed yesterday, the OPR had experienced an uptick in the number of phone calls and e-mails from public bodies, with such inquiries happening continuously.

He said no legal notice had yet been seen to have been released up to lunchtime on Wednesday.

"Once that is done the OPR will make a series of press releases as to how public bodies can register. We will launch our media campaign, so everybody can get on board in terms of registering on the depository and so forth."