Procurement commission can ‘stamp down’ corruption perceptions

David Devine

Canada’s High Commissioner to Guyana David Devine yesterday endorsed the setting up of bodies such as the Public Procurement Commission, saying that such actions would address perceptions of corruption.

“Perceptions are there. The question is… how a country chooses to deal with it. You know, if you had people’s perceptions of corruption related to procurement areas, there’re areas of how to be able to address that issue. …Commissions… to regulate the institutions, can be put in place in order to be able to stamp down that perception,” Devine said in response to a question from Stabroek News at the closing press briefing of a Canadian High Commis-sion- sponsored investment conference yesterday.

Corruption was highlighted during the conference as one of the top ten issues of concern for investors and on Thursday, President Donald Ramotar said that government does not get enough credit for its efforts to deal with corruption in the face of only “perceptions”. The President’s comments followed