TIMES.VG

BVI, Caribbeanand International News
TIMES.VG

Documents for proposed tender waivers to now be publicised

Documents for proposed tender waivers to now be publicised

In keeping with the Government’s commitment to uphold the principles of good governance, the Cabinet of the Virgin Islands has approved the publication of Cabinet documents relating to proposed tender waivers.

According to a press release from Government Information Services (GIS) today, March 17, 2023, under the Framework for Implementation of the Recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry Report (COI) and other Reforms in combination with Recommendation B19 of the COI Report relating to Contracts states that, “The Cabinet agrees a standing waiver to allow publication of the Cabinet documents relating to Memoranda proposing tender waiver.”

The press release noted that the new Public Procurement Act, 2021 and Public Procurement Regulations, 2022 came into force on September 6, 2022. It said this brought a new set of policy guidelines on how procurement matters are to be administered, and eliminated the provision of a waiver that is included in Public Finance Management Regulations, 2005.

The new Act, however, makes provision for a transitional period for outstanding procurement matters, in process, to be administered, the press release pointed out.

According to the Government of the Virgin Islands, there are statutory obligations for the publication of contracts; therefore, all documents in support of decisions where a tender waiver is proposed will be made public in compliance with Recommendation B19 of the Framework.

"The publicising of tender waiver presents another opportunity for the Government to position itself as one willing to strengthen its institutional pillars by implementing systems to promote transparency and accountability—two underpinning principles of good governance," the press release noted.

'Proper & transparent procurement is the best way'- Gov Rankin

Governor John J. Rankin, CMG welcomed the decision of the Government of the National Unity in favour of publication of Cabinet documents relating to tender waivers. He stated, “This is in line with Commission of Inquiry recommendation B19 and the principles of transparency to which we must all remain committed.”

Regarding transparency, he said, “Proper and transparent procurement is the best way to ensure that public money is well spent and it is important that going forward open tendering is firmly established as the norm under the Public Procurement act 2021.”
Governor John J. Rankin, CMG has welcomed the decision of the Natalio D. Wheatley-led Government of National Unity in favour of publication of Cabinet documents relating to tender waivers.



'We are committed'- Premier

Premier Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) stated that his Administration was committed to the implementation of the COI recommendations. In relation to Recommendation B19 he said, “we are committed to a transparent, fair and accountable procurement process.”

However, he noted that the Procurement made provision to exempt certain categories of goods and services from the procurement process.

He added that the Public Finance Management Act would still require contracts of over $100,000 to come to Cabinet. He stated, “In such cases Cabinet would still have to waive the requirement of the procurement process even though they were exempted by the Procurement Act” adding, “in doing so, the Government is adhering to the laws of the Virgin Islands.”

The Premier was also keen to point out that his administration was still considering legacy contracts from before the Public Procurement Act came into force.

It should be noted that under the guidelines of the tender waivers, information in Cabinet documents will be redacted if its non-publication is necessary for the protection of the national security of the Virgin Islands or if its disclosure would be contrary to law; impede law enforcement; prejudice legitimate commercial interests of a particular supplier; or impede fair competition.

The publicising of tender waivers, according to the press release, marks another milestone in the VI’s journey as a politically mature jurisdiction that is willing to embrace the principles of openness, transparency and accountability, which are also central to an effective and proactive communication process.
Newsletter

Related Articles

TIMES.VG
Close
0:00
0:00
UK: Humza Yousaf replaces Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and first minister in Scotland
In a dramatic U-turn against His Government: Judicial Reform Legislation Must Be Halted, Says Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant
Gordon Moore, a co-founder of Intel Corporation, died at 94
Powell: Silicon Valley Bank was an 'outlier'
Donald Trump arrested – Twitter goes wild with doctored pictures
NYPD is setting up barricades outside Manhattan Criminal Court ahead of Trump arrest.
Credit Suisse's Scandalous History Resulted in an Obvious Collapse - It's time for regulators who fail to do their job to be held accountable and serve as an example by being behind bars.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman tours potential migrant housing in Rwanda as asylum deal remains mired in legal challenges
Paris Rioting vs Macron anti democratic law
'Sexual Fantasy' Assignment At US School Outrages Parents
Credit Suisse to borrow $54 billion from Swiss central bank
Russian Hackers Preparing New Cyber Assault Against Ukraine
Jeremy Hunt insists his Budget will get young parents and over-50s back into work
If this was in Tehran, Moscow or Hong Kong
TRUMP: "Standing before you today, I am the only candidate who can make this promise: I will prevent World War III."
Mexican President Claims Mexico is Safer than the U.S.
A brief banking situation report
Lady bites police officer and gets instantly reaction
We are witnessing widespread bank fails and the president just gave a 5 min speech then walked off camera.
Donald Trump's asked by Tucker Carlson question on if the U.S. should support regime change in Russia?.
Silicon Valley Bank exec was Lehman Brothers CFO
In a potential last-ditch effort, HSBC is considering a rescue deal to save Silicon Valley Bank UK from insolvency
BBC Director General, Tim Davie, has apologized, but not resigned, yet, following the disruption of sports programmes over the weekend
Elon Musk Is Planning To Build A Town In Texas For His Employees
The Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse effect is spreading around the world, affecting startup companies across the globe
City officials in Berlin announced on Thursday that all swimmers at public pools will soon be allowed to swim topless
Fitness scam
Market Chaos as USDC Loses Peg to USD after $3.3 Billion Reserves Held by Silicon Valley Bank Closed.
Senator Tom Cotton: If the Mexican Government Won’t Stop Cartels from Killing Americans, Then U.S. Government Should
Banking regulators close SVB, the largest bank failure since the financial crisis
The unelected UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, an immigrant himself, defends new controversial crackdown on illegal migration
Man’s penis amputated by mistake after he’s wrongly diagnosed with a tumour
In a major snub to Downing Street's Silicon Valley dreams, UK chip giant Arm has dealt a serious blow to the government's economic strategy by opting for a US listing
It's the question on everyone's lips: could a four-day workweek be the future of employment?
Is Gold the Ultimate Safe Haven Asset in Times of Uncertainty?
Spain officials quit over trains that were too wide for tunnels...
Don Lemon, a CNN anchor, has provided a list of five areas that he believes the black community needs to address.
Hello. Here is our news digest from London.
Corruption and Influence Buying Uncovered in International Mainstream Media: Investigation Reveals Growing Disinformation Mercenaries
Givenchy Store in New York Robbed of $50,000 in Merchandise
European MP Clare Daly condemns US attack on Nord Stream
Former U.S. President Carter will spend his remaining time at home and receive hospice care instead of medication
Tucker Carlson called Trump a 'demonic force'
US Joins 15 NATO Nations in Largest Space Data Collection Initiative in History
White House: No ETs over the United States
U.S. Jet Shoots Down Flying Object Over Canada
Being a Tiktoker might be expensive…
SpaceX, the private space exploration company, made a significant breakthrough in their mission to reach space.
China's top tech firms, including Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu, NetEase, and JD.com, are developing their own versions of Open AI's AI-powered chatbot, ChatGPT
This shocking picture, showing how terrible is the results of the earthquake in Turkey
×