BVIEC lights the way toward transparency
At a time when various capital projects are in the pipeline in the Virgin Islands, the BVI Electricity Corporation’s transparent tendering process is an excellent example for all government agencies and statutory bodies.
Every two years, BVIEC officials invite reporters to the opening of the bids for multimillion-dollar fuel contracts. By holding these proceedings in a public forum, the BVIEC helps ensure that the tendering is transparent and fair and that the public receives the best value for its money.
Unfortunately, most other government agencies and statutory bodies have been slow to follow this example, in spite of frequent urging from auditors and Finance Ministry technocrats. In fact, most contracts aren’t tendered at all, and a transparent bidding process is rare.
Now, the new government has an opportunity to turn over a new leaf in keeping with promises made by its members since last year’s election campaigns.
The Protocols for Effective Financial Management, which government signed in April, call for all projects to be subjected to a “tendering and procurement process that guarantees the highest levels of transparency and fairness practicable.” To our thinking, this means that each tendering process should be similar to the BVIEC’s.
Transparency will be particularly important with two major projects that are in the works: the airport and cruise ship pier expansions.
For the airport work, government has already requested proposals from five of the 17 companies that expressed interest in the project. Meanwhile, government rightly put the previously announced cruise ship pier project on hold so that it, too, could be tendered.
When bids are received for these projects, the government should follow the BVIEC’s example and open them in a public forum. After that, all details should be shared with community members before a decision is made. Then, residents and bidders alike can rest assured that the process was fair.
In a time when most, if not all, of government’s major capital works are behind schedule and over budget, a transparent tendering process is indispensible before any new project commences.
Kudos to the BVIEC for leading the way.