Full Compliance with Procurement Act Under Air Plan

The Government is committed to full compliance with the Procurement Act as it undertakes the Accelerated Infrastructure Restoration (AIR) plan to rebuild police stations impacted by Hurricane Melissa.

Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security and Peace, Hon. Juliet Cuthbert Flynn, made the declaration in an interview with JIS News.

She noted that while the AIR plan will use the emergency procurement provisions of the Procurement Act, the Government remains committed to full transparency.

“For this plan we have to make sure that we’re following all the protocols as far as the Procurement Act is concerned. The procurement methods were set out and we had to ensure that in using the emergency provision, we naturally adhered to the guidelines,” she said.

Launched on November 28, the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s AIR Plan leverages emergency procurement protocols and long-standing partnerships to fast-track construction, repairs and upgrades to guarantee uninterrupted policing.

“Even with the emergency provision let me state clearly that we had to still follow the rules, follow the standards that the Procurement Act requires, and we had to still do a complete scope of work,” Minister Cuthbert-Flynn continued.

“A preliminary cost estimate had to be done and still, of course, comply with the contractor due diligence as far as the contract would state, which would be that the contractor must meet all the fundamental qualifications and criteria in order to be eligible. So, they must have their TCC and be registered with the Public Procurement Commission. So, even though this was an extreme case and an emergency, we still had to follow the procurement guidelines for this,” she concluded.

Approximately 140 police facilities were affected by Hurricane Melissa, with 53 identified for emergency restoration, including 33 that sustained extensive structural damage.

The AIR plan is a coordinated, mission-driven plan, designed to quickly assess and repair damaged facilities, re-establish full functionality to affected stations, maintain uninterrupted policing services, support national disaster recovery and also ensure that the Jamaica Constabulary Force can continue safeguarding public safety at all times.