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<p>Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says he has mandated the new procurement authority to develop a policy outline to introduce performance management contracting in the procurement process.</p>
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<p>He said the introduction of this accountability mechanism
will serve to improve how contractors work.</p>
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<p>“We know of several contractors who have work they don’t
finish; they don’t complete it on time, but yet they come back into the process.
So there must be a way within the procurement process in which the past
performances of contractors feature in the ability to get future work,” he said.</p>
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<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p> “There is a view that contracting in Jamaica is just very chaotic [and] that contractors are not accountable”. </p><cite>— The Most Hon. Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica</cite></blockquote>
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<p>The PM noted that the introduction of this mechanism was in response to the public outcry about inadequacies observed at the various construction projects happening across the island.</p>
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<p>&nbsp;“Motorists [and]
commuters, especially those who have to use those thoroughfares that are under construction,
complain bitterly about the work ethic and discipline of the contractors and
supervision of the National Works Agency (NWA). It has not gone on deaf ears;
I’m paying very close attention to it,” he said.</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://buzz-caribbean.com/app/uploads/2019/08/PM-Signing-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-6183" /><figcaption>(Source: Jamaica Information Service JIS)</figcaption></figure>
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<p>The Prime Minister was speaking at a US$195-million (JMD$2.8-billion) contract signing ceremony for the <strong>South Coast Highway Improvement Project (SCHIP)</strong> at Jamaica House on Monday (August 26).</p>
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<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p> “We know of several contractors who have work they don’t finish; they don’t complete it on time, but yet they come back into the process. "</p><cite> — The Most Hon. Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica </cite></blockquote>
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<p>Mr Holness said the incorporation of the new structure will signal the start of stipulations to create the institutional framework to change the culture of local contractors, noting that “there is a view that contracting in Jamaica is just very chaotic [and] that contractors are not accountable”.</p>
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