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OPPOSITION MP Roodal Moonilal says government’s proposal to exempt reports on procurement related to national security is “probably the most frightening indictment of this government in handling the procurement legislation.”
He said the government is trying to hoodwink the population using these “frightening, disturbing and strange” amendments.
Moonilal was speaking in Parliament on Friday afternoon on the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
The bill was passed without Opposition support both in the Lower House and the Senate.
Finance Minister Colm Imbert said this particular amendment drew the most attention from the media, and proved a lot of “mischief and propaganda was out there in the public domain.”
Moonilal said, “Since 1962, we have had programmes and policies in place that monitor the procurement of goods and services for national security, police, for coast guard…Every single year, this government boasts about the budget for national security. And these billions are now outside of the procurement legislation.”
He said Ntional Security purchases a “wide range of equipment,” and the government is making a dangerous move.
“This is a case where prime minister meets prime minister in London and decides (to say), ‘Come down and look for (a) boat and if you like it, take it.’ This is now exempted.
“No one will ever know who is supplying what to National Security, to police, air guard, coast guard, regiment…because everything is national security.”
He said while he will never suggest anything to help the current government, as his days for that are long gone, “They could have considered a schedule where you place for exemptions if you want.”
He said the less someone wants to do something, the more they speak about it.
“And this government has been talking a lot about (bringing an end to) white-collar crime.”
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