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INDEPENDENT Senator Charrise Seepersad says amendments to the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Bill were made with an authoritarian approach, "reducing it to inconsequence."
In her contribution in the Upper House on Tuesday afternoon, Seepersad said she could not see the need for any amendments.
"It is abundantly clear that the government has done a poor job at selling these amendments to stakeholders, interested parties and the general public at large.
"This is evident from the comments and pushback in the public domain," Seepersad said.
"This country, as well as most countries in the world, have been plagued by corrupt practices in almost sphere in both public and private endeavours.
"After decades of corruption in the misuse and disposal of the people's scarce and dwindling financial, resources by successive governments, a powerful lobby led by the business sector, including but not limited to the following: the Joint Consultative Council of the Construction Industry, business chambers, trade unions and civil society organisations – they provided, after deliberating for considerable hours, significant contributions to the Joint Select Committee responsible for the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Bill, resulting in a comprehensive piece of legislation, which required a three-fifths parliamentary majority and, therefore, support by most parliamentarians."
It was "abundantly clear," she said, "that not all parties involved have a vested interest in allowing the act to fulfil its intended purpose and now engage in major surgery to reduce the act to inconsequence."
Seepersad stressed that although the act was passed in December 2014, it remained languishing for full operationalisation and, since then, two sets of amendments had been brought forward and required only a simple majority in Parliament.
"I am hard pressed to understand why this act must be amended, and fail to see how oversight by an independent procurement regulator cannot benefit the procurement process," she said.
"Also, an act which initially requires three-fifths majority should not be reduced to a simple majority for any change."
She described this "creeping authoritarian approach" as an attack on the Constitution and democracy, adding, "I am reminded that we are here to seek the best interest of the people.
"Claims that this oversight will delay or stymie the alacrity of the public sector are baseless since accountability and openness must be the cornerstone in public affairs and democracy itself."
The Procurement Regulator's role must not be diminished for the sake of convenience and expediency, she urged.
" Further, giving a minister sole responsibility for seeking the public's interest as far as this amendment is concerned is counterintuitive to that which the act itself seeks to accomplish. That is, transparency in public affairs."
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