St. James PC’s excellent procurement practices

MONTEGO BAY – The St. James Parish Council has been commended by the Office of the Contractor General (OCG), for maintaining excellent procurement practices in the management of contracts.  

The commendation came in light of the Council's attainment of its second 100 percent score, for strict adherence to the procurement guidelines for public bodies during the third quarter of 2010.

According to Secretary/Manager, Winston Palmer, the commendation was communicated to the Council by the OCG, via a letter indicating that the second 100 per cent assessment compliance score keeps the Council at Level One of the grading system.

“I am confident that the local authority, the St. James Parish Council, will persist in its adherence to the procurement guidelines, as the process ensures continued accountability and transparency,” Mr. Palmer told JIS News in an interview Tuesday March 29.

“The Council’s level of compliance will be maintained as the procurement guidelines were adhered to not for the retention of scores, but because it aided the process of effective contract management,” he added.

The Council was also honoured by the Local Government Reform Unit for its ‘significant improvement’ in ‘own-source revenue’, at a recent Local Government Recognition awards ceremony, at Laughing Waters, St. Ann.

Speaking glowingly about the award in an interview with JIS New, Mayor of Montego Bay and Chairman of the Council, Councillor Charles Sinclair, indicated that while he was ‘extremely pleased’ with the award, the Council was determined to be ‘more stringent’ in its efforts to collect revenue.

He noted that a lot of work has been done restoring Council properties and improving sections of the City, to take advantage of their economic viability.

“Our property at Leader’s Avenue, that was practically sitting dormant, was restored and is now earning revenue. We have implemented our permit parking system, which was accompanied by the provision of on and off-road parking spaces, and we have also bolstered our enforcement capabilities to ensure that revenues that belong to the Council are collected and laws are respected,” Mayor Sinclair said.

“I strongly believe that the public should support the Council's success, as it is their willingness to cooperate with the regulations, which assists the Council in earning the revenue required to govern the parish effectively,” he stated.

By GLENIS ROSE