1. The Imperative of
Public Procurement Proposals
The Government to Government
Arrangements
Joint Consultative Council for the Construction
Industry
Afra Raymond B.Sc. FRICS
President
Presentation to POS Rotary Club luncheon
Tuesday 24th April 2012

2. Guiding Principles
Transparency;
Accountability;
Value for Money

3. Private Sector/Civil Society group
The Private Sector/Civil Society group was first assembled on this issue as the
2003 Cabinet-appointed Committee to advise on Public Procurement Reform.
JCC
Trinidad & Tobago Chamber of Industry & Commerce
Trinidad & Tobago Manufacturers' Association
Trinidad & Tobago Transparency Institute
Subscribers in 2012 -
American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM)
Federation of Independent Trade Unions and NGOs (FITUN)

4. Where are we now?
Triple-attack

5. Government to Government
arrangements
What are those?

6. The BALLAH Report
The Ballah Report, dated March 1982, reviewed the programme of
government-to-government arrangements and made
recommendations effectively to curtail the use of such
arrangements, making them subject to various safeguards to
ensure effective competition and the securing of benefits for local
consultants and contractors.
Various recommendations are made in respect of topics which
remain on the agenda of the present Enquiry (Uff), from which it
can be concluded that little, if any, progress was in fact achieved!
The main focus of the report, however, is on the operation of
government-to-government arrangement, where it is concluded
that direct involvement of foreign governments does not produce
the benefits expected.
(from para 3.20, on pg 26 of the Uff Report)

7. Perils of these arrangements
• Sidelining of the elementary tendering process;
• Limited, if any, role for Local Participation;
• Poor contract controls;
• Serious drain on limited Foreign Exchange;
• Lack of the promised Transfer of Technology

8. Uff Recommendations
“…42. The Government's policy on the use of foreign
contractors and consultants for public construction
projects should be transparent and open to review.
43. Local contractors and consultants who compete
with foreign companies should be provided with the
same or equivalent benefits as enjoyed by those
foreign companies and should be protected from unfair
competition through matters such as soft loans…”

9. REALITY CHECK
EXPENDITURE OF PUBLIC MONEY
– Accountability
– Transparency
= CORRUPTION