I have no sympathy for gov’t, says Fraser on continued tender waivers
Opposition Leader Julian Fraser has expressed a lack of sympathy towards the governing administration in the wake of an accusation that it continues to unjustifiably employ tender waivers in executing government contracts.
In a recent review of the ongoing governance reforms being implemented, Governor John Rankin noted that despite a recommendation in the Commission of Inquiry (COI) report and the BVI-UK framework agreement for the government to move away from this approach, it (the Wheatley administration) continues to do so.
Fraser said he felt the governance reforms were going according to plan, ‘except for a snag or two’ which he said could and should be addressed.
“If their (UK government) complaint is that the tender [waivers] is still going on, I have no sympathy for the government with that. Stop it,” Fraser said.
In the meantime, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley had refuted the governor’s claims, arguing instead that the governor incorrectly conflated ‘tender waivers’ with ‘single-source procurement’ — a process that happens when government gets products and/or services from only one supplier, even if it has other options.
But Governor Rankin later pushed back on that explanation, arguing that nothing much would have changed if things were actually as the Premier described.
Fraser said he felt the governance reforms were going according to plan, ‘except for a snag or two’ which he said could and should be addressed.
“If their (UK government) complaint is that the tender [waivers] is still going on, I have no sympathy for the government with that. Stop it,” Fraser said.
In the meantime, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley had refuted the governor’s claims, arguing instead that the governor incorrectly conflated ‘tender waivers’ with ‘single-source procurement’ — a process that happens when government gets products and/or services from only one supplier, even if it has other options.
But Governor Rankin later pushed back on that explanation, arguing that nothing much would have changed if things were actually as the Premier described.
