Rupert Isles of Selsi Limited has written to the Ministry of Communications and Works complaining and expressing his frustration at the methods and manner in the way the procurement and tendering process are conducted.
“I am writing to you to express my frustration at having received yet another tender from your ministry that does not include a date and time of opening. Montserrat is the only country I have done business where tenders for projects and supplies which are paid for with public funds, are not opened and read publicly.
If this practice is not stopped immediately, my next letter will be addressed to the Foreign Office and copied to the House of Commons, the House of Lords, the British Press and The European Union with much more detail.”
Mr. Isles told TMR he has consulted Attorney David Brandt to intervene on what he considers ‘unjust’. “It is an injustice…they give three people the bid package for the pipeline coming from Rams to the high school and didn’t give the others of us any,” he said.
He complained further that because of the intervention the PWD carried out the works, conducting other works which was given to one only one person. “…he was the only person who attended the bid conference and the only person who bid, because the rest of us did not know about it. Nobody else knew – I called everybody and ask them and they said, “no nobody tell us,” adding that he looks in the newspaper for tenders and he sees none.
Isles also spoke of the tender regarding the dredging in Plymouth. He said when he heard and enquired he was told that it was on the internethich he said: “they called and said that it was on the internet and I tell them that is not enough time.” He added that he had heard somebody’s name before it was even out advertising, “Somebody from St. Kitts…” a connection to someone who he said knows about and gets most of the jobs in Montserrat.
Isles is adamant that something needs to be done and he is prepared to go all the way to the courts and Foreign Office with his complaint, having copied his letter to H.E. Governor Davis and Ministers of Government.
