PHILIPSBURG--An investigation conducted by the Integrity Chamber into bidding procedures in government has found that there was non-compliance with bidding procedures and applicable laws and that the claims made in the notification of suspected misconduct were justified.
The basis for the investigation was a notification of a suspected misconduct reported to the Integrity Chamber, which described the misconduct as a violation of, or non-compliance with existing bidding procedures within the Council of Ministers. “The Integrity Chamber concluded that the claims made in the notification of suspected misconduct were justified as there was insufficient compliance to the bidding procedure,” the Chamber said in a press release on Wednesday.
The Chamber said to obtain a better understanding of the level of compliance, other bidding procedures that occurred within government in the last five years were included in the investigation.
After analysing the different bidding procedures, the Integrity Chamber said it was determined that non-compliance with bidding procedures and applicable laws (“comptabiliteitsverordening”) occurred regardless of the circumstances; that key documents necessary for proper decision-making were not available and/or not registered in the document registration system; that in circumstances where deviation from the standard procedure was possible, the required justification was not provided and that the necessary corrections were not applied when steps in the process were omitted.
The Integrity Chamber made a number of suggestions, including the establishment and implementation of a national decree pertaining to the manner in which bidding procedures should be executed (in accordance with Article 47, paragraph 6 of the “comptabiliteitsverordening”) to ensure transparency and accountability within the process.
It was also recommended that the possible integrity risks within the procurement process be determined and the procedures adjusted accordingly to minimise these risks. “Ensure that the bidding procedures are accessible to all relevant stakeholders (internally and externally), to uphold the integrity of the process. Implement an internal control system to ensure compliance and reduce omissions in the procedure,” were other recommendations.
“The Integrity Chamber trusts that the above advice will lead to the necessary improvements within bidding procedures, the efficient use of government finances and a fair and equal process for citizens,” it was stated in a press release.
