Angry reactions in Jamaica to reducing of Contractor General’s powers

(Jamaica Observer) There has been growing objection to the Government’s proposal to amend the Contractor General Act.

The amendments, if given the green light by legislators, would reduce the Contractor General’s power in monitoring the pre-contract process for major government projects.

On Thursday, the Jamaica Civil Society Coalition (JCSC); National Integrity Action (NIA); and the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) young professionals affiliate, Generation 2000 (G2K), severely criticised the announcement made on Wednesday by Attorney General Patrick Atkinson.

Opposition Leader Andrew Holness told the Jamaica Observer that, although he welcomed the approach to seek to address the issue through the Contractor General’s Act instead of the courts, he was disappointed that the Government had wasted a whole year in legal wrangling, at significant costs, “trying to undermine the powers of the Office of the Contractor General (OCG).

Attorney General Atkinson informed the House of Representatives, on Wednesday, that Minister of Transport, Works and Housing Dr Omar Davies would make a submission to the Cabinet to have the Act amended to establish “a clear legislative framework to define or declare what are strategic and/or urgent national investment opportunities”.

“I have received permission to say that the minister of works will present a submission to Cabinet to amend the Contractor General Act, which will not preclude the OCG from a complete review of the process when it is concluded, and will not compromise the OCG’s ability to take appropriate action if a breach is detected,” Atkinson said in the Sectoral Debate.

He said that the question of Cabinet confidentiality and the possibility of premature publication by press release of sensitive proprietary information, before completion of the process, would also be clarified by the amendments.