The government procurement system is undergoing a major overhaul.

The Antigua and Barbuda government has been plagued by fraudulent activities in the area of outsourcing for many years, and it is now taking steps to bring greater control and transparency to its operations.

To this end, the Finance Secretary, Rasona Davis-Crump, has issued a circular outlining new procedures for anyone providing goods or services to the government, which will be effective from March 1, 2024.

According to the circular, the revised procedures are aimed at strengthening expenditure management and controls, ensuring that the government receives value for money, and improving relations with suppliers and contractors.

As such, all merchants, vendors, service providers, or contractors doing business with the government must be duly registered and compliant with the Inland Revenue Department, Social Security, Medical Benefits, and Board of Education as required by law.

Prime Minister Gaston Browne has expressed his concerns about some merchants who claim that the government owes them millions of dollars but who do not pay even a dollar in taxes.

He has emphasized that this must end, and the government is taking steps to ensure that all suppliers and contractors pay their required taxes to the Inland Revenue Department.

The Prime Minister also reported that the officials of the Ministry of Finance will meet with the suppliers to do a complete review of their bills as he believes that these may be subject to overpricing.

The ministry will carefully go through these bills to ensure that they are not inflated, and that all entities pay their required amount of taxes to the Inland Revenue Department.

The new rules being introduced by the Ministry of Finance cover all government outsourcing, including the procurement of goods and services and the execution of contracts with contractors.

These rules include the submission of detailed invoices by merchants, vendors, or service providers to the relevant ministry or department, the delivery of goods or services to the ministry or department upon receipt of payment issued by the Treasury Department, and the signing of contracts by the Financial Secretary before a contractor can commence work on any project.

Under the new procedures, merchants, vendors, service providers, or contractors must not supply any goods or services to any ministry or department on credit, without the expressed approval of the Office of the Financial Secretary.

Any good or service supplied, or work undertaken by a merchant, vendor, service provider, or contractor in breach of the government’s procurement procedures may not be considered a legitimate liability of the government.

All merchants, vendors, service providers, and contractors are advised to take note of these new procedures and to comply with them to avoid any legal or financial consequences.

The government hopes that these measures will help to prevent fraudulent activities and ensure that it receives value for money in all its dealings with suppliers and contractors.