The Office of the Prime Minister issued a statement Monday, denying the PN’s claims that processes of public procurement will be “controlled” by anyone, saying that the claims are “completely false.”
Earlier on Monday, the PN in a statement strongly opposed government’s recent amendments that it said “granted excessive powers to the Prime Minister in public procurement procedures and insists on the need for good governance, transparency, and impartiality in these processes.”
In a statement responding to the Opposition’s motion in Parliament to repeal what it described as “secretive amendments introduced without public consultation” to public procurement procedures, government said that on the contrary, transparency and governance will be further strengthened.
The OPM statement said that government has introduced amendments to the composition of the Public Contracts Review Board to enhance efficiency and eliminate any doubts regarding conflicts of interest.
It said that under the previous system, substitute members on the board were only used in cases of conflicts of interest, which meant that the President, Vice President, and the sole permanent member handled the majority of cases.
The statement said that in certain instances, this led to considerable delays in the process.
“Through these amendments to the Board’s composition, the PCRB will have greater flexibility and be better equipped to schedule and hear more cases in less time. This will contribute to a more efficient Board. The appointment process for members of the PCRB will remain unchanged,” the statement said.
Furthermore, the statement said that contrary to what the Opposition is claiming, the changes made – particularly those regarding the appointment of new board members, are intended to ensure there are no conflicts of interest.
“These changes are being made in full compliance with a court ruling,” the statement said.
