Jamaica watchdog alarmed over CHEC contract

| 18/10/2012

GregChristieP20060919IA.jpgCNS): Jamaica’s contractor general has expressed alarm over the latest revelations regarding corruption in government over private sector contracts. According to comments in the Jamaican press, attributed to Patrick Wong, the former Chief Executive Officer of the National Works Agency, the government is choosing contractors, and Greg Christie said that, if true, it “depicts a very worrisome state of affairs” for Jamaica’s contracting system.” In a Gleaner article Wong had said that the selection of sub-contractors on the US$400 million mega-contract awarded to China Harbour and Engineering Company (CHEC) was guided by an “unwritten protocol” of political interference.

"The unwritten protocol was established by former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson that MPs must be consulted … The recommendations of the MPs were, therefore, considered in accordance with the unwritten protocol that existed," Wong states in the Gleaner article.

Christie stated that if what Wong has alleged is true it would confirm that there is a “systemic, irregular, widespread and potentially corrupt interference, by politicians, in the disbursement of scarce public financial resources to certain selected works contractors who may be aligned to the said politicians.”

Such an “unwritten protocol” would “significantly undermine the good governance principles of impartiality, fairness, merit, transparency, competition and value for money,” Christie added as he expressed his concerns in a statement Wednesday. 

He said it invited the inescapable question as to whether the “protocol” was used to facilitate corruption in the form of ‘kick-backs’ from the selected contractors to the politicians. This, he believed was further evidence of "institutionalized corruption” in the country.

“The fact that a multi-billion dollar state contract, such as the JDIP contract, was awarded without competition to CHEC, which is a foreign contractor, and was then subsequently sub-awarded by CHEC to several local sub-contractors without competition, and outside of the remit of the OCG, should now be cause for concern for all Jamaicans, particularly having regard to Mr Wong’s assertions that the selection of the said sub-contractors was politically inspired and engineered,” he added.
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This is the same company with which the Cayman Islands government has signed an MOU in connection with a proposal to construct the much anticipated cruise berthing facility in George Town. Although there has been very little information in recent months about the progress on the project, throughout the talks the Cayman premier has stated that CHEC will be sub-contracting local workers for the job and not importing labour. 

Related article on CNS:

Mac insists CHEC to do port (29 June 2012)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Government corruption rears its ugly head most often in the area of public procurement. Awarding lucrative government contracts to private individuals and businesses invites backhanders and conflicts of interest.  That is why transparent and rigorous tender processes are so important.

    It makes you wonder about the situation in Cayman. Obviously this is unproven speculation but we have a premier who frequently goes outside the tender processes, or ignores them completely, and unilaterally awards contracts that he personally and secretively negotiates.  Think CHEC, Wheelabrator andCohen and Company to name three big ones and there are others.

    At the very least it is shocking judgment on his part to be violating his government's own procurement and transparency rules by appointing contractors that have not passed the selection process. It's not enough to declare that he has "clean hands and a pure heart".  As our leader he should be setting the standard for stamping out corruption, not undermining it.

    Add to this the Stan Thomas affair, the dynamite incident, Vegas ATMs, the police investigations upon which he will not comment, the nation building fund, the Brac paving incident, the CINICO and Gasboy abuses, his failure to deliver the budget on time, the damaging legislation sped through without debate or consulatation and now his failure to even turn up to the LA to start the process of implementing the FFR and McKeeva's stewardship of this country makes Cayman look like a failed state.
     

  2. Anonymous says:

    You all dont want to see the UDP government bring on these projects. That wayyou can tell the people that they did nothing for their term, and take over.

    This is not going to happen. you all need to tell the people what you are going to do to  get the economy going and stop using the UDP as a scape goat and a political  foot ball.

    • yea yea says:

      yea yea ok foolio hush now poor baby

    • Anonymous says:

      You are so right bring on CHEC let them do the dock and other investments.  That alone should turn the economy around and end the unemployment.  They will buy all the real estate and businesses that Caymanians are so eager to sell.  This will be the best thing for Caymanians CHEC will be the solution to all our financial woes. So please bring them on let them invest in the country.  Our wonderful and smart MLA Mr. Solomon has formulated an excellent contract with CHEC one in which they will provide local employment and they will purchase all materials from local suppliers.  Yes stop using the UDP as a scape goat and political foot ball.  This country would be further ahead but everything that the UDP has proposed to do investment wise the dectractors protest against and we all know that there were many plansput forward that would have solved the problems of the country but no they just want to see the UDP fail but  in the end the country and all of us will fail, because the alternative have absolutely no solutions except to send and spend monies that we do not have.

      • Anonymous says:

        Mac and Foolio, will you please stop spamming CNS with your usual complete and utter bullshit?

        Please and Thanks

      • Charles Brown says:

        My Dear Anonymous 4:34;

        I checked the "TROLL" icon for your comment because there was no icon for "IDIOT",

    • Anonymous says:

      Stay away Mac, we don't want you back and don't care much for what you have to say any more.  Too many empty promises, too much reckless spending, too many shady deals, too much controversy, too much embarrassment being brought upon Cayman be your personally… and the list goes on.

  3. Anonymous says:

    God help us if Mac signs anything before the FFR comes into place. There would be no good reason to do things in that order, but sense has nothing to do with dealings in a Macrocacy.

    • Anonymous says:

      And i hope he does sign it and move on with the country"s business. You dont want anything to happen on the UDP watch, you have put stumbling blocks in the way of 55,000 residents in this country, from enjoying their lives.

      Just out of the sake of your  hateful ways or political gain…shame on you!

      • Anonymous says:

        As the original poster, I don't support any of the parties in Cayman, they are all ghastly (although they are better than Ezzard but by default).  I just don't think the most important contract in the history of Cayman should be negotiated by someone with ongoing corruption allegations and a counterparty with a reputation for improper contracting practices especially if the FFR is not in place.  So my little UDP apparatchik go away.

  4. Anonymous says:

    This is the same company with which the Cayman Islands government has signed an MOU in connection with a proposal to construct the much anticipated cruise berthing facility in George Town. Although there has been very little information in recent months about the progress on the project throughout the talks the Cayman premier has stated that CHEC will be sub-contracting local workers for the job and not importing labour.

     

    I do believe the Premier went as far as to name the companies that would be sub-contracted. So it appears as if the same no-bid process is in place here.

    • Anonymous says:

      9;59

       

      Yes, and these are the same Chinese that are now on the way to Mobile Alabama,to build one of the biggest seaport for the Americans, which will be able to accomodate the biggest container ships in the world, God bless America. You people curse Cayman.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Mr. Christie would be good to have on Cayman's Anti-Corruption Investigation team.

    • Anonymous says:

      Proper laws would be good to have on "Cayman's Anti-Corruption Investigation team" but Mac does  not want them enought to pass them.  They get in his way.

  6. Hellooo says:

    In an unrelated question, does anyone know where the Premier is at the moment ? In China you say ? oh ok then!

     

  7. Anonymous says:

    lucky we don't have a contract with them…thanks foolio!…..ur incompetence is good for something!

    • Anonymous says:

      7;44

      We will have a contract, then what? you will be the clown. Sorry you couldnt get rich off this deal.

      Cayman needs the Port, and you greedy jack asses, just couldnt sway it your way…ha ha ha ha.

      • Charles Brown says:

        CNS, Will you consider that "IDIOT" choice for comments?  I think we need it!