Contractors Reminded to Take Procurement Grievances to Review Board

The Ministry of Finance and the Public Service is reminding contractors that the Procurement Review Board exists to hear grievances in relation to matters of procurement.

Chief Public Procurement Officer at the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, Andrei Bennett, told JIS News that the body is a quasi-judicial tribunal that was established by the Public Procurement Act.

“It’s assembled to hear complaints from aggrieved bidders, that is those persons who have participated in public procurement and who feel that the system has not worked for them in the way expected,” Mr. Bennett said.

He noted that concerns raised included contractors pointing out that the rules and guidelines were not clear.

“The Procurement Review Board will hear those complaints and will direct the procuring entity or their aggrieved bidder to make restitution or amends as necessary,” he noted.

Mr. Bennett said that the Procurement Review Board differed from the Integrity Commission or any other oversight institution.

“Those institutions are empowered to identify acts of misfeasance and corruption and to ensure that appropriate sanctions are levied against those who are caught in those acts,” he explained.

Mr. Bennett further indicated that understanding the branches of the procurement structure will go a far way in demystifying public procurement in Jamaica.

“The Office of Public Procurement Policy is mandated by law to develop the public procurement system using statistics and data and cutting edge thought to ensure that public procurement is efficient, effective and it does exactly what it’s meant to do, which is to ensure that services are delivered to all citizens of Jamaica,” he emphasised.

The Office of Public Procurement Policy is the central focal point on procurement thought and development in Jamaica.

It is a branch of the Public Expenditure and Policy Coordination Division at the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service.