{"id":280417,"date":"2022-01-31T17:07:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-31T21:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/?p=280417"},"modified":"2022-01-31T23:59:34","modified_gmt":"2022-02-01T03:59:34","slug":"bcad-immediate-past-president-responds-to-pm-skerrits-promise-of-a-slice-of-the-cake-for-local-contractors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/homepage\/bcad-immediate-past-president-responds-to-pm-skerrits-promise-of-a-slice-of-the-cake-for-local-contractors\/","title":{"rendered":"BCAD Immediate Past President responds to PM Skerrit’s promise of a “slice of the cake” for local contractors"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Anthony Leblanc – File Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n

Immediate Past-President of the Builders and Construction Association of Dominica (BCAD), Anthony Le Blanc, said in a statement on Monday that local contractors are currently being engaged in the World Bank Housing Project as a result of the association\u2019s early intervention immediately after Hurricane Maria.<\/p>\r\n

His statement followed comments made by Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit during his Annou Pale talk show recently where he promised local contractors \u201ca slice of the cake\u201d as far as government projects are concerned.<\/p>\r\n

The PM stated that empowerment of local contractors is government\u2019s priority. He said the homes that were recently built in Wesley, were all constructed by local contractors and pointed to the further utilization of local contractors in the construction of health centres.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cYes, local contractors are engaged in the World Bank\u2019s Housing Recovery Project, but it is as a result of BCAD\u2019s early intervention immediately after Hurricane Maria where BCAD engaged and influenced the World Bank in the design of this project to ensure that small contractors had the opportunity to be engaged,\u201d Le Blanc remarked.<\/p>\r\n

He continued, \u201cIt is a tremendous pity that more than 74 of our contractors did not participate. This has absolutely nothing to do with the Prime Minister. As a matter of fact, if he could have undone it, or reversed it like the continuity of CVQ training, he would have!\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Le Blanc added, \u201cIt is BCAD\u2019s fault in that it has not been boasting about this and many more of the success stories where contractors have benefitted!\u201d<\/p>\r\n

He said it is worth noting that although ACE Engineering Ltd is eligible to bid on these small housing projects, and has been invited to bid, it has not submitted tenders because the effort was meant to allow the smaller contractors opportunity for growth and to be engaged.<\/p>\r\n

Leblanc said he believes that the jobs mentioned by the Prime Minister where local contractors are engaged are all jobs that are given to \u201chis friends\u201d in secret \u2013 \u201cNO PUBLIC TENDERS, no transparency”, that the contractors are generally not directly engaged by government – “there is a middle man sucking out the marrow from the bone,” and the tenders are not open to transparent participation of all qualified local contractors.<\/p>\r\n\u201cThe Wesley case is typical of that, as some of these contractors are reporting getting a raw deal from the \u201cmiddle man\u201d hired by the Prime Minister,\u201d he stated.\r\n

He argued that the government of Dominica wants the private sector to get the impression that one can only get a \u201cslice of the cake\u201d if you are prepared to engage in illicit practices.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cIt is no wonder that the Prime Minister as Minister of Finance has presided over a new procurement act that has not only legalized corruption, but truly placed local contractors at a greater disadvantage,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\r\n

He went on to state that transparent access to \u201cgovernment projects\u201d by local contractors, truckers and the average resident Dominican National should be an integral part of the development agenda for a good government interested in the development of its people.<\/p>\r\n

In fact, \u00a0Le Blanc pointed out that it should be a given that government procurement practices ensures that the target participants are those where growth is realized and employment is created nationally, and that poverty is progressively eliminated.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cThat was one of the objectives of the procurement act repealed by the parliament led by the Prime Minister,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\r\n

With regards to the open tender that ACE Engineering Ltd won for building two (2) drill platforms for the geothermal project, LeBlanc said the project is funded by the UK Government and administrated by the World Bank.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cSo in short, the Prime Minister did not have the opportunity to \u201cslice that cake\u201d! Therefore, ACE Engineering Ltd could participate, and did win, in its usual way, A FAIR AND TRANSPARENT PUBLIC TENDER,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\r\n

Secondly, he explained that in the tender process, the average submission by indigenous local companies was EC$8M.<\/p>\r\n

However, as with the Kalinago Housing Project, one of the Prime Minister\u2019s preferred \u201cnon-local\u201d contractor, CIE Ltd, tendered amount was EC$26M.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cIf the Prime Minister had control of this cake, Dominica would have paid more than three (3) times the value,\u201d Le Blanc stated. \u201cDominica would never have been able to afford geothermal energy.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

He added, \u201cThis is a prime example of the danger of what could and does happen when there is NO OPEN and TRANSPARENT PUBLIC TENDER.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Finally Le Blanc said the Prime Minister failed to indicate that the many other segments of the geothermal project have been, and is being funded externally, and hence it is not his \u201ccake\u201d to share slices inappropriately and at prices which would make the geothermal project unstainable and a failure.<\/p>\r\n

He highlighted some points to ponder on:<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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  1. Why is the Prime Minister trying to pat himself on the back for saying he is doing something which is an integral part of his job description as Prime Minister? It is clear he is trying to make another excuse for not being able to create an environment which facilitates economic growth.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. When last was a tender for government construction work, funded by local funds, including CBI, been publicly advertised? When last was a local construction company been able to bid in an open transparent public tender for public sector work? When was the last time any private sector entity given the opportunity to participate in government procurement in an open transparent manner that was opened to the general public?<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Construction is traditionally a good economic indicator. The local building and construction sector has shrunk – we can hardly find enough to measure! Where is the furniture industry we once knew? Where are the truckers and the line of trucks at Rockaway? Where are the Contractors who were readily available to build the local housing stock?<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. All praises to COVID-19, Hurricane Maria, and the other natural disasters. These have blinded us to the economic ruin of this country under the Prime Minister\u2019s watch as Minister of Finance.<\/li>\r\n \t
  5. Why are our foreign owned banks running away – if the economy was flourishing – if that corrupt practices of giving friends jobs and project was working for the economy and the whole country was benefiting?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nLeblanc’s full written statement can be read below:\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t
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