Following an audit report over breaches in relation to COVID-19 purchases, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee [PAC], Jermaine Figueira, has recommended that the Ministry of Health make recommendations for the amending of the Procurement Act 2003 to include emergency acquisitions and improved regulations.
Figueira made the recommendation yesterday after the Auditor General in his 2021 procurement, storage and distribution of COVID-19 supplies report, revealed that the Ministry of Public Health and the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) had breached procurement laws. That report examined March to August 2020 during the tenure of the APNU+AFC government
However, Malcolm Watkins, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health stated prior to Figueira’s recommendation for a review of the 2003 Procurement Act, that he believe the current laws are functional and breaches in the procurement period at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic should not have occurred. Watkins, made this statement yesterday to the PAC as the MoH and PAC scrutinized the performance audit for the procurement, storage, and distribution of COVID-19 supplies report by the Auditor General.
