Final report on Micro Projects damning

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Final report on Micro Projects damning – Minority Leader

Wednesday, 27 January 2010 19:48

After much uproar by members of the public and the minority regarding the awarding of contracts and claims about the misuse of government funds, an investigation was commissioned and The Final Report on the Community Micro Project Programme was laid in the Plenary Sitting of the Assembly on 10th December 2009.

Yesterday Minority leader Ashworth Jack called the report “damning and unacceptable”. The report caused a stir when it was released late last year. This public furor and questions by the minority in the house prompted Chief Secretary Orville London to instruct THA Chief Administrator, Dr Elton Bobb to review the process used in managing the entire CMP initiative, and to make appropriate recommendations. The final report was made available to members of the Assembly on December 4th 2009 and it revealed many discrepancies.

The Chief Administrator in the report pointed out that the overall cost of the program was $8,927,355.38. It also outlines that while the policy objectives of the Program appear to be sound it would appear that aspects of the administrative parameters set out by the Executive Council were not in alignment with the legal and regulatory framework which encompasses the public procurement process.

It continued that during the implementation of the programme there were areas where the process appeared to have strayed from the administrative moorings established by the Council. The report further outlined that the involvement of Secretaries and assistant Secretaries in the procurement process appeared to have transgressed the principles of accountability and transparency enunciated in Government’s White Paper on public procurement and the Central Tenders Board Regulations regarding the selection of Contractors.

That the non evaluation of the Scope of Works forms used in the Programme was seemingly at variance with the operating principle of value for money voiced in the white Paper. Further those Contracts were awarded to Public Officers, contrary to the Central Tenders Board Regulations. The project also raised public sector policy issues related to the THA’s use of public money to finance projects on private property that were not for a public purpose.

Minority Leader Ashworth Jack yesterday said that the contents of the report clearly incriminated members of the THA. He further stated that the report must be forwarded to the Auditor General. For his part, Mr. Jack says he will not let it rest. Mr. Jack stressed that never again must a situation like this be allowed to happen Tobago.