News:
July 10, 2015
The Minority in Parliament is threatening court action against government accusing it of circumventing the procurement law after awarding a single window contract to West Blue Consulting.
According to Effutu MP, Alexander Afenyo Markins, NPP MPs are allowing government some time to overturn its decision failing which it will not hesitate to go be to court.
The MP insist that that government disregarded the legal requirements and chose one company, West Blue Consulting, over several others with the same expertise to work at the ports.
“Act 663 of 2003 Procurement law, states in part that an entity may engage in single source procurement with the approval of the board:
“(a) where goods, works or services are only available from a particular supplier.
“(b) Where there is an urgent need for the goods, works or service.
“(c) Where owing to a catastrophic event, it is impractical to use other methods in procurement because of the time involved,” he quoted the law as saying.
But the Effutu MP says none of this applied to the decision to choose West Blue Consulting.
All the existing five Destination Inspection Companies at the ports are being cleared after August with no contract extension in sight.
The five DICs make about 100million a year which is 1% of total revenue accrued from the ports.
ith the DICs out of the way, one company, West Blue Consulting, is to be offered the contract to inspect goods at the ports before clearance.
A letter from the presidency has directed the finance ministry not to renew any contract of any of the DICs because it is the wish of the President that the single window contract be awarded West Blue.
Mr. Afenyo Markins insists the president is acting in breach of the law and must refrain from do so.