00:00Proper procurement is vital to progress and public trust, so says THA Minority Leader
00:06Kelvin Morris.
00:07However, he claims that there is a serious problem in that area under the Farley-Augustin-led
00:11administration.
00:12According to the Office of Procurement Regulation, several, several, or more than 50 percent
00:24of the THA divisions are non-compliant with their obligations under the law.
00:31Among them, Morris names the Divisions of Infrastructure, Education, Tourism, and Health.
00:37In relation to the latter and what he calls Ambulance Gate, Morris says he received documents
00:42on the TRHA's procurement process from a whistleblower, which he presented at the THA's 43rd
00:48Plenary Sitting and Budget Debate.
00:51He claims there were three bidders who came on a couple of months apart and were being
00:56evaluated by different committees.
00:58He adds that the evaluation report is void of a signature.
01:02Morris says the last bidder, which was the most expensive one and had no experience in
01:06supplying ambulances, was selected by passing another bidder who had supplied Ford ambulances
01:12previously.
01:13We had a bid coming in from Amalgamated and they had a letter of support from North Central
01:30Regional Health Authority saying that we can confidently recommend this provider because we are utilizing
01:40their service and we have absolutely no issue.
01:44He says two ambulances under that bidder were costing a total of $1.4 million, or around $700,000 each.
01:52Instead, Morris points to the bid from Biomedical Technologies Limited, where Tobago received four
01:58forced traveler ambulances, which was also to be the Isuzu brand.
02:03The TRHA previously stated that it cost taxpayers about $10.3 million.
02:09According to Morris, there is no evidence suggesting that there was ever a variation to the quotation
02:14for two ambulances.
02:16His comment is against the backdrop that the purchasing price is sometimes lowered depending
02:21on the amount being ordered and initial procurement was for 12 ambulances.
02:26Because if that is not the definition of wasted wastage and mismanagement, I do not know what is.
02:36And that's why I've coined it the greatest procurement scandal in the history of this Tobago House of Assembly.
02:46Morris states that during a part of the procurement period, the TRHA operated without a board,
02:51which meant that the chief executive officer was only authorized to make payments up to $1 million.
02:57He claims that a 50% down payment was made for four ambulances by the CEO,
03:02but didn't specify if it fell within the period when the board was absent.
03:07Who authorized that payment?
03:09Madam President, you officer, the documents are here and they will be delivered to the relevant authority.
03:18And I will simply say, let the chips fall where they mean.
03:24Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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