Clarification on the Decision to Import Through Open Tender the Second Batch of Fertilizer

In a recent interview regarding the delay in the importation of the second batch of fertilizer, the Minister of Agriculture explained that the setback was as a result of a directive from the Office of the Contractor General to open the procurement process.
The fact however, is that the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce and the Jamaica Commodity Trading Company (JCTC) decided to engage in an open procurement process in respect to the second batch of fertilizer importation, to comply with procurement regulations and to avoid any concerns that could have been raised by the Contractor General. The Government was, therefore, not responding to a directive from the Contractor General to open-up the procurement process.
Last year, due to the imminence of the planting season, the Government took the decision to acquire the first batch of fertilizer using the sole source method. The open tender method now being employed is a more lengthy procedure.
The Minister regrets any inconvenience this pronouncement may have caused the Office of the Contractor General.