Afra Raymond was interviewed by Natalee Legore for the Media Institute of the Caribbean on the COVID-19 pandemic and Public Procurement rules, and the impact of the delays and amendments to the law. Audio courtesy Media Institute of the Caribbean.
Afra Raymond participated in an interactive interview with British podcaster, Ra Hendricks, on T&T’s 60th Anniversary of Independence. They discuss governance and policy, expectations of the population and harsh realities, successes and limitations and more, all framed by a choice of favourite calypsos from those 60 years.
Afra Raymond participated in this Property Tax webinar on Tuesday, 26 July 2022 for the Henley Business School, Caribbean Alumni Chapter. “Considering the current Property Tax situation, ambiguity of the transition from the Land and Building System to the new system, we have taken the opportunity to provide clarity to our Alumni community and invited participants to make informed decisions.”
These unacceptable delays in the proclamation of our Public Procurement law have all the ingredients of a Constitutional Imbroglio. Yes, that’s right, in amongst the protestations about Separation of Powers, we are witness to congosah and condescending Public Officials shafting the Public Interest.
When one speaks of Separation of Powers, the role and responsibilities of the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary are considered. Of course, the separation is not a perfect one, since there are areas of overlap in how these bodies operate. For instance, the Executive proposes annual funding for the Judiciary after consultation. That funding is only accessible after the national budget is approved by the Legislature, which then allows the allocated money to go to the Judiciary.
In the case of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Act, the law was passed over 7 years ago in January 2015, during the PP administration. The PNM administration then amended the Act three times before the Regulations were agreed with the OPR and approved by the Parliament seven months ago, in January 2022. Those stages are further examples of overlap and they were all lawful. The last stage was legal and necessary, since the Ministry of Finance had to agree the Regulations with the OPR, before tabling those in Parliament for approval.
So what is this ongoing delay, now that all the legal and necessary steps have been taken?
Continue reading “Picking Sense from Nonsense: Public Procurement Constitutional Imbroglio?”On Emancipation Day 2022 in Trinidad and Tobago, Afra Raymond reiterates his message on the deplorable excuses offered by the government of Trinidad and Tobago to fully implement its Public Procurement regime. He wrote previously, “We are being told by our [Attorney General] that the new Public Procurement law cannot be implemented at this time because a significant number of Procuring Agencies are unprepared, and that is totally unacceptable.”
#moralsofamangothief
#takeweforfool
#brightforspite
The nine-day memory is a real thing in today’s world but some of us do remember and compare, so we are not fooled, not at all.
We are being told by our AG that the new Public Procurement law cannot be implemented at this time because a significant number of Procuring Agencies are unprepared and that is totally unacceptable.
Let me explain.
Continue reading “Public Procurement Delays 2022”
Afra Raymond spoke with Shabaka Kambon on the Indaba radio programme on 91.1 Talk City. Their discussion centred on the ongoing delays in the implementation of the Public Procurement regime in Trinidad and Tobago. Audio courtesy 91.1 FM Talk City
Delaying the Procurement Law is Wrong! ‘rong like a Crix Biscuit!
This is my short video on the Attorney General’s Media Conference on Wednesday, 22 June 2022, and why we need to do better.
Please watch and Share – remember that Silence is the Enemy of Progress!
Afra Raymond was interviewed by Satesh Mahabir on Property Tax on the Morning Panchayat show on Aakash Vani 106.5 FM on 16th February, 2022. UNC Senator Jayanti Lutchmedial was the other guest on the programme.
Afra Raymond joins a panel on The Pandemic Economy, the pre-budget show on TV6 Television in Trinidad and Tobago, where he and the other speakers discuss the local construction industry and the public debt to it, public procurement along with the soon-to-be-implemented updated Property Tax regime. Video courtesy CCN TV6
AfraRaymond.net 