Rowley motion approved Saturday, March 15 2014 OPPOSITION Leader Dr Keith Rowley is calling upon the House of Representatives to urge Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to “immediately stop” the award of a billion dollar contract to a consortium of companies, which includes Super Industrial Services (SIS). Rowley’s call is contained in a private motion which has been approved yesterday by Speaker, Wade Mark. The motion qualifies to be placed on the House’s Order Paper on March 25, and can be debated at the next Private Members’ Day sitting of the House on March 28. In the motion, Rowley also calls on the House to urge Persad-Bissessar to “review the overall circumstances (under which the contract was awarded) to ensure that the public interest is protected and State resources are not stolen, or wasted in the arrangements” between the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), and the National Gas Company (NGC). Rowley indicated his intention to file this motion on Monday, when he first raised concerns about the award of the contract to a consortium consisting of SIS, Foster Wheeler USA Corporation and Hyflux International Pte on February 28. He also wrote to President Anthony Carmona on March 10 last, asking him to use his powers under Section 81 of the Constitution, to call upon Persad-Bissessar to explain the circumstances under which the contract was awarded. Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine said yesterday that Super Industrial Services (SIS) Limited was awarded the contract for the construction of the Beetham Waste-water Treatment Plant because it offered “the best technical and financial package” to the National Gas Company (NGC). “SIS was awarded the contract because its bid package offered the best technical and financial advantage to the NGC,” Ramnarine said in a statement in the House of Representatives. The minister’s statement came days after Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley raised serious concerns as to why SIS was awarded the contract for the billion-dollar mega project. Rowley also wrote to President Anthony Carmona requesting the project be stopped and the bidding process be re-started with a greater degree of transparency. Ramnarine said yesterday that SIS was awarded the contract after it scored 77.93 percent in technical expertise. It also offered greater local content in its plan, and had extensive plant experience, he added.newsday.co.tt/politics/0,191920.html
Posted on: Sat, 15 Mar 2014 14:00:26 +0000