Gov’t tables bill to preserve procurement status

Government yesterday tabled a new Bill intended to retain Cabinet’s role in granting no-objections to procurement following the creation of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) but the Opposition is not likely to offer its support.

Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh  brought the Bill –the  Procurement (Amendment) Bill 2013 – on a supplementary Order Paper. The Bill seeks to amend Section 54 of the 2003 Procurement Act by deleting subsection 6. This subsection had removed the requirement for Cabinet to have