Member of the Joint Consultative Committee on the Construction Sector (JCCCS) Stewart Paris has made it clear that the organization has no problem with foreign companies being given contracts in Dominica but all that is being asked for is local companies be given equal opportunities in bids and evaluations for projects on the island.
“I want to make it abundantly clear this morning that the Joint Consultative Committee on the Construction Sector in Dominica, and in particular the Builders and Contractors Association, we have absolutely no problem with foreign companies doing contracts on the island of Dominica, and in particular, we have no problems with NSG Technology, whether they have been awarded a contract to do a job in Dominica or not,” he said on Q95’s The Hot Seat on Wednesday morning.
Earlier this week, the JCCCS sent an open letter to Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Roosevelt Skerrit calling on his government to retract a contract awarded to NSG Management and Technical Services Ltd of Barbados, worth approximately EC$18.2 million for a major project in Roseau.
JCCCS is of the view that there are local companies with the experience for taking on such a project. The organization also questioned the way the project was procured by NSG.
“Our position here this morning, and this is where we stand, we believe that locally we have the capacity to do that same kind of work and all we are asking for is to be given an equal opportunity like you give to NSG or any company, wherever they come from,” Paris stated. “Give us an opportunity to participate in the contest, and when the bids are open and the evaluation is done, the best man wins.”
He stated that committee believes there is something wrong with the procurement process, “that completely shuts us out, exclude us from the process, doesn’t give us a chance to bid…”
“We are here, living here, the job is here…we are Dominicans and we feel that we want to be given an equal opportunity to tender on jobs of this nature, because we have the capacity and the experience to do the work,” Steward noted.
He argued that if the procurement process is opened to competition and fair contest and transparency, everybody has to sharpen their pencil because of the competition.
“And when it comes out in the wash it means that the taxpayer in the country is going to end up with the best price for the job because nobody would have been negligent or complacent in their approach or tendering. They would have to be careful and they would be offering the best price…,” he said.
Dominicans doh like to work!!! Stop lying, the professionalism is not there… the self drive for perfection is not there, they will turn a 3 month project into a 3 year project and blame other people. The people who hand out these contracts should start a rating agency for the contractors on these projects (local, national and international alike).
so true
I suspect the people that are reviewing these comments are political and not impartial. That my friend is unprofessional. You cannot switch professionalism on and off you either are or you are not professional.
Global anti-corruption group Transparency, said the lack of competitive bidding and the political connections of all involved raise conflict-of-interest issues.
“When a government doesn’t do competitive bidding, that is a red flag of corruption itself,”
SMH…that is what Mr. Jerry Brisbane was talking about all the time..that is why he was fighting for the cause..before they jumped on him…
Show us your worth,finish the Credit Union building,take out the flapping netting or fix it if you are not ready to finish within the next year or two.
Discombobulated I 100% agree with you. Skerrit did the right thing. A project of that capacity is in the right hands right now. Dominicans are unprofessional. Not proactive and I can foresee major delays if they were to be given this project. Skerrit is no Supreme leader, he is A GREAT LEADER who has won a clear majority by THE PEOPLE. Great leaders understand how to balance emotion with reason and make decisions that can have a positive impact. Making good decisions in difficult situations is no small feat because these types of decisions involve change, uncertainty, anxiety, stress, and sometimes the unfavorable reactions of others.! Skerrit is decisive. He does not appear to be unclear and uncertain. He does not have time to mince words and answer to every dog that barks! GOD BLESS SKERRIT!
well said
Notwithstanding, the project should have been tendered. Its the law.
Mr. Paris is correct with his assessment is on the money.
Mr. Paris is correct with his assessment of awarding the Bajan company to do the the Roseau bridge. Maybe the fraternity members are mostly from Roseu Central?
Dominican construction companies need to think regionally and work withing the procurement processes for projects in other Caribbean Islands.
This will in turn employ Dominicans on projects regionally and bring money back into the Island… stop the codependency on the Dominican government.
If you on a farm and only pick you bananas on the same tree all the time, then get made when other people get bananas off the tree its your fault, the tree doh owe you nothing.
Its not an issue of a procurement process… its skillset & minset. Dominicans have a backward dependency mindset, they are blinded by their own inaction & laziness. I speak harshly for one reason & one reason only… Why cant Dominican construction firms do the same thing or better that NSG Technology is doing?
Why if there are few projects in Dominica they cant involve themselves in procurement processes for projects in Barbados, St Martin, Trinidad, Grenada, St Lucia etc? Why not? Its because the same people that are constantly criticizing and admonishing the government trying to frustrate the system in fact have a codependency on the government and want to be handed contracts for easy money.
That same frustration is employed on construction projects by prolonging work using up government resources wasting time. Skeritt is a smart man & knows this which is why he employed an external construction company to manage the project but Dominica workers & equipment.
but here is the thing like the one comment i read where the person stated,that after fifteen years why has not the government given the local contractors opportunities to gain experiences which is needed to compete in todays advanced world,when under the freedom party government, there was a major road project in play island wide,in fact that was the biggest project under taken by any government in dominica,and note,that was before skerrits government,i never heard the local contractors voiceing any disapprovals,so this not the first time in dominica this has happened,which makes the whole issue seem political,we just experienced TS Erika,skerrit went to Barbados to attend an event which was held to help support dominica,we had all kinds selfish comments toward skerrit,now I am asking myself,should skerrit follows up on what the jccccs is asking,a retraction,how well is this going to seat with bajan public who has just broken bread with dominica
let me also add to the folks who have not well come out of egg shell,meaning that born yesterday morning but have super speed to comment,the company’s that worked on the island brought there own equipements,nello & teer American,rush & Tomkins brittish,sintra French,all foreigners,not a dog backed,why because she was the iron lady,she ruled with an iron rod,so stop trying to make skerrit look so bad,as he stated NSG is only a consultant firm,they will hire local companies,paris knows that the local companies or any company that is taking on a major project,has to have major assets to get locked into any construction contract,because things does not always happen as projected,now I am not hitting on them that they should be part of any project,but I am sure they knew and could have made their intentions clear from the get go,that they wanted to be part of the vesting,they have now opened up when their is controversy,this whole issue is being blown out proportion,
Why not take all your equipment to the site and PREVENT any “construction” from starting……bring all you have…backhoes,cats, rollers, tractors etc. (cameras for sure) If you’re not prepared to do that…….think…….
Not a bad idea. Stop the talk and walk the walk.
After listening to these contractors it became very vivid that the entire country has been imasculated. The Astaphan guy for example was even afraid to call out the name of Tony Astaphan and Ivor Nassief on the matter of the committee for accountability and transparency in government..
Steve Astaphan was also afraid to call out the DAIC organization. All kind of fancy footing. How can the current administration relent in its dirty ways when the people who stand guard protecting this criminal administration stand beyond reproach. Some elements and people in our society should be very uncomfortablein many ways. Instead these elements run roughshod in Dominica. It is t I me to make these elements uneasy in Dominica.
Do not underestimate a Dormant Volcanoe, We have lots of them all over our lovely, Nice Country.
This is an outrage. Dominican’s should never have to stand by and watch over 18 million dollars go into the pockets of non-nationals when there are Dominicans fully capable of producing the same results. Absolutely ludicrous! This same courtesy would never be returned were the shoes on the other feet. This contract needs to be retracted. So sorry to the foreign firm for getting caught up in this debacle, but there is no way this should be allowed to move forward. Mr. Prime Minister, think about the people that elected you to power, the people that you represent and the people that you are accountable to. In a situation like this, THEY are the ones who need to be given priority. You are talking about changing people’s lives and livelihoods with that amount of money. Do the right thing, will you!
have you ever hired one of these companies if you did then you would never make that comment
Clearly we can see that the Supreme Leader has no respect for his local contractors..he didn’t even give them a chance to bid..Imagine that!!!..Talk about looking for the interest of your people at home..Skerrit is being guided only by his inner compass of greed and self Glorification..if it takes Dominicans 100 years to revolt it’s just because they want it so..
From inception Skerrit has been showing Dominicans that he exercises his executive power to do what he wants whether they Like it or not..A bunch of lip service that we all immune to by now..
He done sold Public Works to the Chinese with no Consultation, spoke only after the fact..Lord have Mercy on Dominicans..you’all can take like the Ocean..
I guess if Skerrit ever gets tired he’ll lift his foot from Allu Throats..
Right now, you have taken a more conciliary tone which sounds how professional should operate. Now you do have a point, but you put the cart in front of the horse. Before your letter or complain could be heard by PM the content was already on the tabloid or Q. You cannot bully your way or give the enemy ammunition. Your mannerism was very unprofessional for a person who wants to handle such a Hugh project. You sought political leverage by going to the tabloid for empathy and it backfired.
Mr. Pris while I support your organisation 100% dont waste you time, Mr. Skerrit is not listening he is the boss. This too shall pass.
I want to know if that Labour party operative from Barbados- you know the one that said the Dominica elections boosted the Bajan economy is involved in this west bridge contract to the Barbados company. Given the fete last Friday with Swing stars it seems like the same campaign thing has started?
I think Mr. Parris and his colleagues should seek legal advice and file an injunction. This country of Dominica belongs to them no matter who is the PM.
I fully agree that something is wrong with the procurement process that completely shuts out the local construction companies, exclude them from the process and does not give them a chance to bid.
After 15 years in power, why has the government not supported the construction industry to ensure that they have the capacity and the experience to do the work so they can be given an equal opportunity to tender on jobs of this nature not only in Dominica but in the region.
We want it all. 70% (13 million +) is not enough for us and when we finish we applying for jobs all over the Caribbean. This is what you call capacity building….
Its our passport money, why should we share it with foreigners??
You idiot…blockheaded…fool.
Do hou have any understanding?
is people like you that have Skerrit doing all the nonsense he’s doing
The only thing he h as left to do ,is to start burying all you alive.
I think that’s the piece the PM is missing…..give them a chance to at least bid…a chance….let the bidding process be open and fair. Also in regards to awarding these projects to Dominican business, that’s how money will circulate in the country. If the Dominican company wins the bid, they pay employees, who in turn spend that money in the country thereby stimulating the economy. However, if that contract is awarded to a foreign entity, except for incidentals, food lodging, maybe minimal entertainment , the bulk of that money returns to the entity’s home base. We have to look at these contracts as not only getting essential work done on the island but also as a way to stimulate the economy by using local manpower. I don’t think the whole picture is being looked at. Give them a fair chance at the table.
that’s commonsense eh…. I just don’t understand some ppe mentality~
I have a magnet on my file cabinet at work, it reads……..’Why do they call it common sense, when it’s so rare?’. Nobody takes the full picture into consideration, fix the roads and necessary utilities but where we can use local businesses so we can stimulate the economy and get things moving again.
They want to start and can never finish… Look at the post office in Roseau, look at the Credit Union in Roseau. Skerrit you do right tan…..
To be honest, Dominicans don’t really want to work and work hard. They wanna tell you when they coming to work and what time they leaving. Next thing people waiting for cement that never reach? Considering how the Chinese worked day and night, you think Dominicans want to do that? Their weekend start on Thursday and their day finish at 3. That’s the attitude. Why you think the country so backward? Everything is govt. Nobody want to be entrepreneurial because they’re afraid of long hours, blood, sweat and tears. Plus, they’re unprofessional. We don’t even have many jobs that are ongoing at night. DCP used to be one of the few, and now clear harbour. Most places closed at night. But hey we want tourism and more jobs. Good luck. I know I’ll get some stick for saying it but I know exactly what I’m talking about. Well, now I got that off my chest, laterz
Dominicans don’t want to works so who working clear harbor in the night? Haitians? u jus like pas melee give your people a chance my boy they will rise to the occasion love my country and my people. are u a Dominican or a dominicant?
But you have missed the point. The law is that there must be a tendering process,
So that those who are capable have a fair chance of getting the work..you should not be concerned about those you
Have ranted about: they are not in the race we are talking about.
You are wrong. We are very good at siwo from midnight to six in the morning, making misery for others with intolerable noise. Yes Sir, we are very good at that. Nobody have topay us, in fact we volunteer and pay for it, amazing! I say, Skerrit develop the siwo business, bottle it and sell it overseas for other societies to advance like us.
Talk about the slavery mentality. Black on black.
You should reread what you wrote.
They cannot want to work day Nd night when all de government giving them is SEWO
If people were getting paid fairly and properly in Dominica many of these issues would not be so pronounced. Do you know what it is like to travel to work everyday in the Ministry and not get paid month end? Sometimes more than three months and no salary.. And I’m suppose to have the zeal to put extra effort? Every action has a reason behind it. We should try to understand why work ethics in Dominica I so poor.. Particularly government workers.. Before we jump and say Dominicans don’t like to work find out what the problem is cause it’s not something that happened overnight… Furthermore, the aim of many of Dominica youth is to migrate.. It is so difficult to get a little loan less than $5000 to start up a business.. When you do finally start something business is very seasonal and profits very minimal cause everyone crying broke.. The whole point is the economic system in Dominica is broken.. And its not because people don’t want to work.. It’s because people are severly…
I am a bit discombobulated by this statement. What exactly are you saying. Dominicans have laboured and worked in building structures like bridges, schools, Financial Centre, roads, houses (Recall the building boom under Freedom in the 1980`s?). Are you one of those Dominicans who “don`t really want to work and work hard? Are the four fingers pointing back at you?
You statement is discombobulated and loaded with untruths and not evidence based. We need a government to lead, guide and promote good work policies, principles, ethics that the Dominican worker can excel. The institutions supporting workers in the past, e.g. the unions, the Trade Union Council etc are all gone and today even the JCCS is compromised and hardly recognised for contractual work. The contractors in Dominica has done one thing good in coming together to represent and promote their profession and work ethics at its best. This corrupt DLP government works in isolation and seems it is one man running the show.
Could not have said it any better. i’ve had the unfortunate taste of some builders in Dominica. Lazy like lizard and want to complain when they doh get work. Always ready to start but can never finish. Take a sit and watch how serious people working. Dominica can’t throw money down the drain on lazy contractors. Prove allu self and come again.
If by now there is still anybody that has any doubt that Skeritt has grown into and is continuing to evolve into a bigger monster, that person is simply brain dead. Things have gotten so out of hand that the master of deception actions of dictatorship are no longer subliminal messages but are BOLD IN YOUR FACE for the whole world to see. Barbados is now laughing at us. They know that not even if the moon turns into blood and the city of Atlantis reappears they could ever leave their people hungry and give their projects to a foreign land unless necessary, far less for Dominica. Wicked, wicked, wicked man. It seems that our island is being ran as some sort of circus fashion show because all the PM know how to do is dress up and look good for the cameras. Lights, camera, action. The model of the year for unemployment magazine is at his very best yet again.
Mr. Paris you are 100% right in your stance against the procurement process of this particular endeavor, however you are dealing with Dominica’s beloved and adored Supreme Leader. With the good Doctor Prime Minister there can be NO productive, amicable or even sensible resolution to legitimate concerns or grievances against his actions. Our Supreme Leader is resolute in his decisions whether right or wrong and makes it quite clear that he will not be impressed, influenced or moved by public pressure. Dr. Roosevelt M. Skerrit is clearly of the mindset that Dominica belongs to him and that he is indeed the head of a monarchy instead of the leader of a Democracy where the power rests with the PEOPLE! If you, Mr. Paris, believe that you will get any different results from engaging the Prime Minister you certainly will be the next in line holding stones. As far as the Supreme Leader is concerned he has spoken on the subject and its FINAL! Dictatorship in all its glory!
Damn right dont give up . We all want equal rights and justice . All of us in any capacity.. skerit show respect to people with talent. Peter was a fisherman. Joseph was a carpenter. Have respect skerit and show it. U have failed us in all the industries. Dont fail our God given talents.
They shouldnt have to beg, any smart leader should know that he got give his people a fair chance,
I support stewart paris call for local companies to be given the opportunity the opportunity to participate in the procurement process.but my friend forget this talk about lowest bidder.the developers are under no obligation to give any contract to the lowest bidder.
This is public funds. So why then have a procurement policy to get value for tax payers money. We will find all kinds of excuses fo BS. Any straight minded oerson knows the issue was not about giving foriegn companies contracts.
Joe hy, all he is asking for is the opportunity to bid. if they are not the lowest bidder so be it but at least they were invited. That’s how it is done all over the world except Dominica.
” Paris has made it clear that the organization has no problem with foreign companies being given contracts in Dominica but all that is being asked for is local companies be given equal opportunities in bids and evaluations for projects on the island.”
Paris with all due respect I think your words are nothing more than just a hypocritical lie?
You seem to be kissing up to Skerrit with the hope he will pity you all. There is nothing wrong foreign companies getting government contracts in the country, but that is if there were no Dominicans capable of doing the same work.
How many engineering firms, or contractors can you name who in the history of our country ever secured a building contract on any of the islands of the Caribbean; name one? Don’t be puppet on a string. If there are people in the country capable of performing satisfactory engineering work, it is a insult to those people when the government awards contract to outsiders.
Stop kissing Skerrit’s Butt!
skerrit don’t care for dominica and it’s people he think he is a king and not PM