The Opposition United National Congress intends to go to the Parliament, seeking to repeal government’s amendments to the Procurement Act.

This is the latest step in the Opposition’s objection to the legislation, which was passed back in December of last year.

At Monday night’s Virtual Report hosted by the UNC, Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar said her party maintains that the bill in its present form provides loopholes to facilitate government corruption.

“Remember we told you that they gutted the procurement bill, emasculated it and reduced the procurement legislation to that of a bite from a toothless dog. Why? So that they could steal. Cabinet Ministers had to recuse themselves 92 times because contracts were going to friends and family,” Persad-Bissessar told supporters. 

With government due to return to the open market to find a buyer for the Petrotrin refinery, the Opposition Leader renewed a call for the sale of the asset to be put on hold until the legislation is operationalized. 

“Proper procurement legislation must be in place before billion- dollar assets are just sold off. Only then can we be sure that there is accountability and transparency and you are not selling to your friends and family. They had almost six years and what did they do? They watered it down, gutted it. To allow certain people to benefit, at taxpayers expense,” she lamented.