The government of Dominica is being criticized for not being prepared for the implementation of the Public Procurement and Contract Administration Act, which goes into effect today (Thursday).
The criticism is coming from Vice-President of the Builders and Contractors Association of Dominica (BCAD), Anthony Le Blanc.
Le Blanc said during a live interview on state-owned DBS Radio on Thursday morning that the government did not prepare itself and the private sector during the two years the Act was being discussed, before it came into effect.
He said the country is not ready for the implementation of the Act.
“There’s a lot of we don’t knows, so the country is not really ready for the Act to be in effect,” he said. “The regulations that need for the Act has not been done or passed in the public, so the private sector doesn’t know how to operate under this Act.”
According to Le Blanc, Section 34 of the Act requires that regular purchases by the government have to be done in an open competitive method and it requires that equal access should be provided to every eligible and qualified person who can sell to the government without discrimination.
He noted that if the government continues to purchase from today, it “would be illegal.”
Le Blanc is also querying why the government has placed itself in such a position.
“So has the government put itself in that position? Yes,” he stated. “And it’s unfortunate because it points to a crisis in leadership in the Ministry of Finance. It has been given two years to get its act together, to prepare the private sector as of the day that the Act comes into effect. Nothing is in place.”
He continued, “We are a small country we have to build this country together. We cannot keep spending our energies; the little resources we have to fight to get things done that ought to be done right.”
He noted that a culture of doing things right is needed in Dominica, insisting this entire matter points to a leaderships crisis.
“If it means that leadership doesn’t work, then the public, the people, the directorate is culpable because they elected a government who has been there under a leadership and if it means things like that in the Ministry of Finance, led by the Minister of Finance, the Prime Minister doesn’t work, doesn’t operate well, it means that there is a crisis in leadership in this country,” Le Blanc opined.
He said BCAD would like to see the act “operate well.”
“He noted that a culture of doing things right is needed in Dominica”.
Finally, legislation is in place to bring fairness and transparency into Government procurement processes. Everyone in the trades has been asking for that. Now there are rumblings of complaint and dissatisfaction?
My advise is to step up to the wicket. Take responsibility for your performance. Learn the process. I am sure others are ahead of you already in the learning curve. No one is responsible for you!
Pure jealousy stabbing others you wasn’t expecting that others would rise just you. Tony work together to for a better Dominica.
Am reading some of these comments and wondering if you all are trying to understand what is being said, or just rushing to comment. Cause as far as i see this it has nothing to do with politics. It has come into effect and someone has to let the public know that there is something out there which may affect how they operate.
Mr Le Blanc
I am glad to be able to provide you with the reason for the government’s lack of preparation.
They were so immersed in conjuring up tricks to “win” the election!
Can’t blame them as amassing personal wealth is so much more desirable than administering the affairs of state!
Mr. Anthony Leblanc you are a citizen of the Commonwealth of Dominica so continue to say it like you see it . Freedom of expression is priceless . It is now time that we must understand that we should have no fear of anyone base on their personalities. continue to tell it like it is .
There are different forms of procurement. Perhaps you should make this ‘procurement’ explicit for those, at least some of them who read it and hear of it to comprehend exactly what you mean. While you are at it, inform them exactly what is sold to the government without discrimination.
Those who ask especially from miles away (no exception those who have no knowledge about this procurement) are not stupid but you should explain yourself that they might comprehend exactly what you are accusing the PM of.
Keep in mind D/ca recently had an election. The PM had to prepare for this election. This took some months.
Did you approach the PM about this and request his opinion? Did you make a suggestion to the PM prior to going public? The problem with some of you is, you are too critical and too quick to go to the Media prior to informing the PM, requesting a response and awaiting his reply. You are the ones who are in a crisis. You are the ones who should change your attitude.
But what is wrong with you people? This is a democratic country. why is it that you do not want people to express their views and opinions.
The country will never develop until we learn to talk freely. People should be encouraged to speak It is our country.
Osanna
I apologise on behalf of The Facts. The Facts has its head so far up its “you know what” that facts is an unknown concept.
The Facts should be dismissed as a nuisance rather than someone who should warrant a response to its comments.
To THE FACTS…………you guys just keep making all sorts of excuses for the behaviour of the PM and for the incompetence of his cabinet and the corruption which takes place under their watch with no consequences for the perpetrators but rather PROMOTIONS for their loyalty to the status quo!!!
Why is it that you all are prepared to put your necks on a block for someone whom you really do not know intimately in most instances and in the face of obvious corruption????
The more you support the corrupt structures around you, the more entrenched they become and the closer they get to your doorstep!!
BE WARNED!!! IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE DAY ON DAY!! STOP IT WHILE YOU CAN!!
@ The FACKS! Are you Skerrit’s spokesman or spokeswoman? Give people a brake or break in D/ca!
so the fact is what you say it is?.
to many idiotic spinners in this country
The fact is a monkey in Canada
Mr. Leblanc, thanks for your outspokenness. If the leader of the country is not doing what he’s supposed to do then he needs to be exposed. We should not condone wrong when it stares us in the face. The peoples’ voices need to be heard since they are the ones who elected him into office.
ONE LOVE
He must speak???? What next??? Look ou for some spin & or some Damage control. Some persons dying to call it for what is is but they fraid. According to our pm where there is no vision the people perish. We love our “PM”. Win Loose or Draw!!! We won the Election and we are in cruise control Mode. Only in Dominica.
this is the type of Leadership we now have in Dominica, Communist is working, the price of Electricity is sky high in Dominica even if the price of a barrel of crude oil has been Bottom low on the world market for several months now, millions of Dollars could be found for recent Political General Elections on the 08/12/2014 in Dominica and friendly Governments could have enable the Mr. Prime Minister to announce increase in civil servants wages during the Election campaign, please Mr. Prime Minister do we have to payback for these moneys of which we do not know the source.
Check this out,
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2015/01/maduro-admits-venezuela-economy-crisis-201512223852341922.html
Just to ask Tony though, when was the last time you took to the airways, went public to identify something good – a good deed that government has done? Each time your voice is heard is sheer lamentation after lamentation as though government has not done anything right in Dominica. If one day you would just eat humble pie and identify one good program that government has doen then when you come around to criticizing then people will listen to you. You will come across as being objective. For now you are among those technical specialist who have taken up the cause of the opposition and so you keep finding fault in everything that government has done. That is what I see and hear every time you speak on the issues. I will die to protect your right to oppose anyway. But by job be real. “give Jack his jacket and give Jacqueline her lipstick” Then people will want to listen to you. Until then you come across as a very sore loser on December 8th, 2014. Prove me wrong.
I wonder if we are seized with the reality that the elections are now over for more than 7 weeks. Tony Leblanc is complaining that government has done nothing in two years to prepare the private sector for today when the procurement Act would have come into force. Tony Leblanc must tell us what has he or his organization done to prepare his company and his colleague private sector firms for today. Tony is the person more than the average Dominican who has been following the development/evolvement of this legislation. Every so often he took to the media and lambasted government for delaying the coming into force of the Act. He dried foul every time. He played his active part (as is his right) to ensure that that his country man does not continue as Prime Minister. Tony is among those who maintain and rightly so the principle that government cannot do everything and that the private sector is the leader in so many development efforts. Tony this is one area where you could have assisted.
You never put a head of state in charge of the finances of the country unless you want a dictatorship. That is why there is a “separation of powers” in most governments. DA is not a democracy and neither is the U.S. The U.S. is a corporatocracy run by corporations since the late 1800’s. Too bad that most people don’t know real history instead of what is selectively taught in the schools. That will be the downfall of civilization.
Good luck, Mr. Le Blanc! My granny always said, and I think it comes from the Bible, that “where ignorance is bliss, it’s folly to be wise”. Think about that sir, please!
Hotep!
Everything for these guys is politics! They eat, drink, sleep and even sh** politics!
Crisis of leadership, requires a vote f no confidence in the house and the DLP members of Parliament hve to recognise that they are voted by the people of Dominica to serve Dominica . Their first responsibility is for a better Dominica.
Thank you! I’ve been preaching all that for the last for years. That’s what Skerrit is all about, he throws a few bones about and tells us to take or leave it. We should tell him if he can not progress the country – go… Take it or leave it.
He seized the election with the help of cronies.
Well said sir! Sadly, the electorate in Dominica and the heartless ones in the diaspora are still focused on the “my pocket” politics. The diaspora folks who ran down and voted have all said goodbye until next election after having thrown us to the DLP wolves again. Mr. Skerrit’s ministry was, is and will remain the most incompetent ministry but he was voted into office again by his constituents because he took care of them financially in “various” ways.
Sadly, the whole country will suffer for our misdeeds and lack of testicular fortitude in dealing with the core issues that affect our society. We have become a very passive people due to selfishness and greed. Time will soon tell because the vikeevi process of governance is running our beloved land straight into the ground.
Assertive, NOT Aggressive!
Mr. Leblanc is a real man, the type of man we need in Dominica today. Despite the discrimination that he and his company will face by this government, he is standing up for what he believes is the right thing to do. I don’t know you personally, but I respect you sir – this is about Dominica!
very well said a country will not move forward with this style of leadership.
Mr Leblanc I am in support of your statement. It does not matter which GOVT is in power we need to start doing things right in this country and calling things by their right names…..because we will continue to see the continual failure of a failed state and a depress economy.
Titiwi does it have a time limit for the 1st sitting of the house? last election I think it was like two months after election, now with that Lablanc election over and you still talking about leadership like say the man you backing has a trace of leadership in his DNA. After the way you handle the gripe you had last time till you even paid to bring out your agenda made a lot of people lose respect for you, well I sure did. Everybody has to eat, that was you plan let Linton and UWP win and you all would be in the background playing like the puppet master Dominicans was to wise to let that happen.
Brave!!! Very brave observations!! I salute you sir for your brave observations!!
what do you mean by brave,is somebody going to kidnap him,,you know you all diaspora people giving the world the impression that dominica is being runned by Russia and the people are mummed,but we say to you all,it’s gonna bounce right back,whoever you all are working for.
which school did you attend?Dominicans are afraid to speak. especially if you have a government job. Afraid of victimization.
The country will soon be left to Skerrit and the elderly.
Tout moun ka alay.
Election is over Tony!! Get over it!!
That’s why Skerrit is still here. It’s because of people like you??
This is not about election season but about doing the right thing. It seems like some of us a bent on accepting and doing things any how and think it’s ok. Dominica welfare is at stake
what does that have to do with elections
?? :You are really a question mark! Tony was never going up for Election, so what exactly is it that he needs to “get over”?
Crisis in LEADERSHIP! That what it is. I couldn’t have said it better myself!
I wonder which political party in Dominica has a crisis in their leadership? Not the Labour Party for sure.
Elections are over people and most Dominicans are happy with the leadership of our country. The exceptions are those who wish that they could be the leadership instead, knowing fully well they are not the ones the majority want to run the country and have told them so each time they have gone to the polls.
Until next time when the people believe you have proven yourselves. After all you are being given the chance with an olive branch to go with that, and yet you do not even know how to accept and deal with them, is as if they want all or nothing. What does that tell us?
By the way, where is our leader? Is he in the country at all or ruling his estate by remote control from overseas? Next week will be 7 weeks since you won the election and still no meeting of the parliament! Roosevelt, maybe you think you can rung things without a tedious and meddlesome parliament? What is going on, is democracy dead?
A dictator can do as he pleases. He isn’t accountable to you. Did you miss the last election where the real future of DA was determined.
If it was dead you would not make this silly remark.