Kamina Johnson Smith, Leader of Government Business in the Senate - file photo
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Senators Kamina Johnson Smith and Floyd Morris
The Senate on Friday afternoon passed the Public Procurement Bill with three amendments.
The bill seeks to regulate the procurement of goods, works and services by State agencies.
Kamina Johnson Smith, Leader of Government Business in the Senate, who piloted the Bill, noted that the government is partnering with the Management Institute for National Development to put in place a sustainable programme for capacity strengthening.
She said 20 public officials are currently being instructed as trainers for the Public Procurement Training Programme across the public sector.
The implementation of the electronic procurement platform is also "far advanced" as "89 procuring entities have been trained in it's functionalities and 29 are already using the platform to execute procurement contracts," Senator Johnson Smith revealed.
She said about 1,000 suppliers are registered on the platform and 264 Jamaican suppliers have been trained by the ministry.
Meanwhile, Opposition Senator Floyd Morris, in his contribution to the debate, called for penalties for breaches of the proposed legislation to be increased.
"...Everytime a corrupt act takes place in government, it robs the little man on the street of a potential benefit; it robs the teachers of possible resources to assist in the classroom or their salary; it robs persons with disabilities of resources that they would need to assist them in their daily life," he insisted.
He argued that it is important that those in government send a strong signal "that we are serious in stamping out corruption."
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