The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

KINDLY permit me to share my views on the recent public pronouncement by the Prime Minister on the Government plan to aggressively utilise Public Private Partnership (PPP) in the provision of Public infrastructure and services and more particularly the need for any future government to legislate to ensure protection for investors in these PPP initiatives.

That is quite admirable and welcome.

However, my question is what is the government’s current  policy with respect to attracting and granting these PPP initiatives and how does the public become aware that the Government is or may be seeking a PPP initiative for the provision of a particular service(s) or some infrastructure development.

The public only seems to be made aware of these initiatives after there has been an agreement in principle or in substance with the private partner. Why haven’t these been put out to the wider public for solicitation of mutually suitable proposals?

There are others that are rumoured to soon be undertaken by the government and I wonder if and when these will be put out for public participation so that the public have an opportunity to submit proposals to offer the object of these initiatives.

In pursuing these PPP initiatives there should be some element of a competitive and transparent process. Failing such, these initiatives become a breeding ground for corruption and conflict of interest. As a matter of fact, it is one of the preferred vehicles to facilitate public corruption because very little accountability and transparency are in the process.

It seems curious that all of these that are rumoured to soon be undertaken, with one or two exceptions, are for the construction of buildings which are to be leased back to the government. One is left with the impression, that these are simply pre-lease arrangements between the government and the favoured private developer(s) that if you build a complex the government will lease it.

While I appreciate that PPP initiatives can be somewhat beneficial if they are well structured and intentioned, however, I am equally aware and concerned that these PPP initiatives can be used to engage in and conceal corrupt practices.

In many cases, there are no real advantages in employing them as opposed to traditional methods of public financing, especially in the case of constructing building facilities for government use if they only amount to nothing more than rent collecting opportunities for a few connected individuals at overly inflated rent rates and at commercially offensive terms.

And usually this is the case.

It is important that the government be open and transparent in these initiatives. The details of these agreements should be made available to the public save for those that have National Security implications.

CLAUDE HANNA

Nassau,

March 22, 2017.