Walwyn: Gov’t wants three quotations for a screw!
Sixth District Representative Myron Walwyn contended that the government tied its own hands when it passed the Procurement Act in the wake of the Commission of Inquiry (COI).
Speaking in the House of Assembly recently, Walwyn shared some of his concerns over the government’s self-imposed limitations through the Procurement Act years ago. In the process, he underscored several challenges and inefficiencies these laws have introduced to the territory’s administration and economic activities.
Walwyn stressed that businesses continue to complain about how difficult it has become to do business in the territory. “The Procurement Act… it’s a major problem. I don’t understand how ayo could pass some of them things in the House,” he said. “What y’all were doing in the last House of Assembly?
He continued: “Some of these Acts don’t make no sense to me. You make an Act that tie up your whole hand and make life more difficult for everybody. What was the government doing?”
He also elaborated on some of the burdensome procurement procedures now required for basic purchases. “You are now asking a business — and to see how deceptive and nonsensical some of the things are — to get a very screw, you want three quotations… for a screw!” Walwyn said.
“You well know where you want to buy the screw from, but you call the other two people them to go ask them to give you a quotation, fully well knowing where you want to buy the screw from,” he added.
The lawmaker urged businesses to charge the government whenever it requested quotations, suggesting their time is wasted and they are being deceived.
“You gotta take an employee off of what they’re doing to go write a quotation to send to government, only to hear that they give the job to somebody else who they had want to give it to in the first place,” Walwyn said.
Walwyn suggested that the Procurement Act delays government operations and places unnecessary burdens on local businesses, thereby worsening the territory’s economic difficulties.
Beyond procurement, Walwyn described broader stagnation issues and the government’s insufficient responses to residents’ economic challenges, particularly in tourism and agriculture. He called for more effective governance and less bureaucratic red tape to enhance the government’s responsiveness to public needs.
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
Double checks rather than Triple Billing
That’s because none of them in HOA, including opposition, have any integrity and cannot be trusted with public money. That why you have to independently check at LEAST 3 times.
They’re really trying everything to avoid any form of accountability….
You sound so stupid.
Words of the wise often seem stupid to a fool.
If you’re looking at the state of this country and still have no idea why this is needed then I have nothing more to elaborate on.
“You well know where you want to buy the screw from, but you call the other two people them to go ask them to give you a quotation, fully well knowing where you want to buy the screw from,” he added.
That sentence explains why it is necessary to get the price from all vendors. I assume we are talking about the same screw 🙂 🙂 🙂
This is pure @$$ishne$$ yes
True Words MW.
I have been ask many times for Quotations,for materials, labour, and consultation. And I never got a job or a sale. I even reduce my prices,and still never got anything from them. I`m still trying.
Walwyn fails to adequately understand the reasons behind the implementation of the Procurement Act which was introduced to enhance transparency and accountability in government procurement processes. He and other legislators clearly do not want this and we may wonder why. Walwyn’s arguments are one-sided and dismissive of the benefits of the Act in reducing corruption and ensuring fair competition.
His example of requiring three quotations for purchasing a screw is an emotive rhetorical device that oversimplifies the issue and is clearly unfounded. Procurement processes require measures to prevent favoritism and ensure value for money. Legislators don’t like this and we know why.
He is more concerned with keeping things as they were than ensuring a fair and accountable procurement process.
It sounds real dumb that he can’t make no sense of Acts.
Sir, It is not the size of the screw that matters. The legislation is to prevent screwing the taxpayer
The UK will be able to run the entire BVI within the law come September. The HOA members should just prepare now for permanent retirement.
I see nothing wrong with this.. it shows transparency and accountability. It might be tedious to get 3 quotations for everything but i prefer that than yall raping the treasury for your friends and family…
It was always in the act to do so but everyone wants to spend tax-payers dollars like it’s theirs.
The wall is why ??????
The Act is only nonsensical if the government’s mindset does not change. They should not go into a job already knowing who they wanted to do the work. They should go into a job knowing that they can expect to have three options presented to them to consider in order to decide what is in the best interests of the country. Time to break out of old habits completely and embrace things like accountability and transparency, TODAY!
This gentleman was a member of the party in power when the Register of Interest bill was passed. There seems to be some question as to whether it was ever brought into force. However, they passed it but none of them ever adhered to it’s requirements, or seemingly never intended to, which made for interesting questions and more interesting answers during the COI about how many times they were written to about their non compliance. One of them, perhaps more, seemed to not know how to fill out the form. The Registrar knew how. So how come they didn’t access her knowledge? These guys are just amazingly fake all the time. Depending on which side of the aisle they are on they are either more or less fake. I’m so sick of all of them. Waste of space and tax payer dollars.
@@GPM The only person sound stupid is you.
Sounds about right
The more the opposition speaks the more i realize they not any better than who in power right now. All of them is the same thing. Want to do what they feel like how they feel like and help who they want and themselves to public funds with nothing or nobody to stop them. Then tell you it not in your interest to know who getting this money.
The man is right! Treating everyone like criminals is not the answer to the procurement issues. There should be thresholds for this like anything over $10K etc. must go through a different process. When you have senior officials and others trying to get things done and have to be hampered with BS, there’s no progress in that. You are trying to stop stealing? YOU WILL NEVER! A thief is a thief and WILL THIEF!!!!!!!
@Truth….
They would simply enter forever contracts or agreements with persons for $9.9k.
The COI exposed this where one contractor got over a million dollars’ worth of work from one office, by them simple keeping the signed dollar value under $100k.
You cannot fathom the depths, some will go for $$$$.
The good gentleman needs to ask the simple question why was the COI required in the first place. He might be “surprised” to find that Government members of both admnistrations (himself included) were robbbing the tax payers blind….plain and simple!
Oooooh. I saw the headline and thought that this was about the bars in sea cow bay.
I work for a listed company whose turnover is less than £500 million. We need to ge three quotes for all new suppliers annd new contracts and we still get shit done. Grow up gov .
He has clearly not read the bill. Evidentially one might wish to look at past records and see who has been getting screwed?
Is a fixed cost they’re already going to have to be paid we might as well try and get some of them to do a little work for their rice bowl. Asking them to check the prices before using the Government credit card shouldn’t have to be apologized for we all have a family budget to stick to!
The only thing Myron is right about is they might have a preference of who they want to buy the screw from but by having alternate options giving quotes it would be unjustifiable to buy the same screw for more money.
just wait til they start using AI for governance to uncover all the corruption, partna sweeping the street with bush will be the next premier
To pastor turn-bull church ? you making yourself look bad / perhaps you should get acquainted with the word ( TRANSPARENCY )
Is everyone finally starting to see that this guy is like all the others, in it for themselves? I never understood the amount of hero worship that the commentators on these boards of this site seem to bestow upon him. He’s twice as arrogant and just as “special” as the rest of the HOA.
its a good thing in terms of accountability , but the process is too long, and most the time upon them coming to business , there a number of things happening while going on , 1/ price change 2/there none they finish , 3/ quality of what they ordered which is the cheaper products