New contract process cumbersome, slowing down execution of projects
Opposition Leader Julian Fraser has indicated that elected leaders are finding it difficult to deliver vital projects needed by constituents because of the new tendering requirements brought on by the United Kingdom (UK) to foster transparency within the BVI government.
Speaking as a telephone guest on Da Morning Braff programme on Tola Radio this week, Fraser was asked by panellist Dameon Percival to explain why residents are subjected to poor social infrastructure.
In response, Fraser said the measures put in place since the completion of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) have made it difficult for elected leaders to serve residents even though money has been set aside to complete certain projects.
“The funding is appropriated for projects but you can’t get the projects completed. Right now, I’m trying to get a project executed for a year now and if it’s completed by the end of the year, I doubt the contractor will get paid. The system right now is so cumbersome,” Fraser stated.
“If you have a project to execute, you have to go through some mini form bidding process instead of issuing a petty contract as it was in the past. The contractors now have to be registered at the Ministry of Finance, it takes forever,” the Opposition Leader added.
Since the Commission of Inquiry recommended that the BVI implement reforms to improve governance, residents have been complaining that it seems elected representatives have stopped spending money on public infrastructure and are instead spending money on governance measures ordered by the UK.
Fraser said residents should be aware that money is there to deliver projects needed by the community. But with the new tendering systems the government has to use to issue contracts, projects that would ordinarily be completed in a month are now taking much longer.
“This is a new way brought on by the criticisms that have been placed on the territory. Everyone is afraid to do anything. Those petty contracts were put in place to expedite and for efficiency. You can’t do that anymore,” Fraser said. He also said going through a formal tendering process when issuing contracts facilitates transparency but not efficiency.
The contract issuing process was one of the major issues identified by the COI. Elected leaders were told to stop issuing tender waivers and instead opt for a formal tendering process to facilitate transparency.
Since then, the UK government has expressed that it believes the BVI is still indiscriminately issuing tender waivers for government contracts. However, elected leaders have disputed this claim.
UK places extra scrutiny on government’s tender waiver habits
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It is called transparency Sir! Remember, this is the people’s money, not yours!
“Those petty contracts were put in place to expedite and for efficiency. You can’t do that anymore,” – well sir if you and your colleagues hadn’t abused the process and lined your own pockets, and the pockets of all your friends and family for the last twenty years, maybe you would still have your “speedy and efficient” process.
This is how it SHOULD BE, Julian. For once you actually have to do some actual work and you already buggin about it.
Seems to me there were more than three years before these COI restrictions and nothing was done, nothing. Now that elections is near, all of a sudden money can be found for contracts? Please, the voters of the BVI should put down this me me me voting practice and vote country for a change. These politicians take us for fools.
and this is especially hard on the Reps as they can’t get their 10% of the contract amount and they are suffering! Ha Ha Ha!
I read the Sea Cow’s Bay Harbour project audit and the Elmore Stoutt High School project. The concerns raised in the sea cows bay project are far worse and more serious than the high school project. More money was spent. It was done on private land owned by the minister and his family members got the contracts. Let us sit back and see what will happen here. This is looking like selective scapegoating.
Essentially. None of us competent or morally sound to feel we should have to do what mature and wealthy societies do, not act like banana republic paying friends and getting nothing DONE OF VALUE for the TAX PAYING VOTERS AND PUBLIC.
Once we get our from this COI crap, we will change some things back to suit our needs. What good for the UK isn’t good for us.
Yes the graft, corruption and incompetence is all the fault of the UK.
OK rather than saying its cumbersome, why not explain how the process works and how to streamline it – always complaining. As I see it at the moment they are just lazy to do it the proper way. Government inefficiencies are the bane of the BVI. Why it take 8months for renew a permit. BVI makes it so difficult some how for everything. Simple tasks
you are addressing everything , when are ;you going to get to the root of the problems we are facing now and (WHO ) created them , if there was transparency and honest we won’t be going through this sh*t now / plus , we have guns/ drugs and cold blooded murders being committed in broad daylight ,/ youths disappearing AND NOT A WORD FROM YOU SIR ( WHERE ARE YOU LIVING ❓, ? if you love Your country and Your people so much we would love YOU TO FIND THE COURAGE TO SAY SOMETHING ON THOSE VERY IMPORTANT FACTS OR ISSUES , PLEASE WE BEGGING YOU
P
There’s people sitting down in these offices doing jack all day. Give them some work to do.
Because of all political fxxups we all have to now suffer. Stop the steal and put back our money in the treasury and let the country flow!
This cr**k just can’t help himself. You will soon be arrested just like the Walwyn cr**k. You won’t have to worry about contracts and the people of the BVI. You’ll only have to worry about dropping the soap in the shower up at Balo….if you actually wash. Your future is laid out in techicolor!!
Maybe if our civil servants actually did what they are paid to do, instead of doing church biz, we would have a better functioning economy.
Oh yea! But in most other countries the Premier doesn’t get busted selling coke and laundering money…
Maybe that’s why the UK is making you do it that way!?
Better the job be done slower and correctly than quicker and corrupt/badly.