ID card deal violates procurement law
before the contract was entered into with Veridos Identity Solutions.” And aside from the fact that Veridos could produce the cards, Goolsarran noted that “a Google search reveals that there are at least 30 leading companies that specialise in the production of electronic ID cards, which would have rendered both Sections 26 and 28 inapplicable.”
“It can therefore be concluded that the award of the contract to Veridos Identity Solutions for the production of electronic ID cards is in breach of the Section 25 of Procurement Act which requires public tendering to be mandatory, except in certain defined circumstances,” he stressed. On transparency mechanisms that should have been taken, the former Auditor General said that the Procurement Act which provides for the regulation of the procurement of goods, services and the execution of works, to promote competition among suppliers and contractors and to promote fairness and transparency in the procurement process, makes clear what government needed to do and it should have followed that law.
“The Act makes it clear that it is considered desirable to regulate the procurement of goods, services and of construction so as to promote the objective of - (a) Maximizing economy and efficiency in procurement; (b) Fostering and encouraging participation in procurement proceedings by suppliers and contractors, especially participation by suppliers and contractors regardless of nationality, thereby promoting international trade; (c)
Promoting competition among suppliers and contractors for the supplying of goods, services, or constriction to be procured; (d) Providing for the fair and equitable treatment of all suppliers and contractors; (e) Promoting the integrity of, and fairness and public confidence in, the procurement process; and (f) Achieving transparency in the procedures relating to procurement.” he emphasized as he quoted the laws.
“The main plank of the Procurement Act is open tender, except in certain defined circumstances. Since there was no competitive bidding in relation to the award of the contract to Veridos Identity Solutions for the production of electronic ID cards, it could not be determined whether the above stated objectives were met, especially as regards (a), (e) and (f),” he added.