SCOTIA BANK CEO URGES COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP IN PUBLIC PROCUREMENT

­­­­­­­­­­­Kingston, Jamaica: Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Public and private sector entities are being urged to foster an attitude of collaboration and partnership ahead of the revolutionary changes being made to the public procurement process in Jamaica. The call came during the opening ceremony of the Elevate Procurement Conference held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre on Tuesday, April 23, 2024.

Audrey Tugwell-Henry, President and CEO of Scotia Group Jamaica Limited, highlighted that both the public and private sectors have a role to play in the elevation and transformation of public procurement.

“The evolution of public procurement is not just a challenge for public procurement officials or policy-makers, it is a shared responsibility. This includes everyone, from government agencies to suppliers and financial institutions like mine [Scotia Group Jamaica Limited]. We all have a stake in ensuring that the transformation and elevation of our public procurement process is a success,” explained Tugwell Henry.

She further emphasised that banks and other private sector entities are not just ‘observers’ in the public procurement system but described the relationship as a partnership.

Tugwell Henry said, “We are partners who provide the financial scaffolding that supports many of the projects that are procured by the government. Our role therefore extends beyond providing funds, we offer financial advice and help to manage risks, we conduct due diligence and we ensure financial stability is considered in the procurement decisions.”

Day 1 of the three-day conference, which is being held under the theme, ‘Elevate: Innovate, Create’, saw over 500 attendees comprising suppliers of goods, services and works, public procurement oversight institutions, international and regional procurement practitioners, among others.

Meanwhile, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, Minister of Finance and Public Service, in his remarks, shared with participants the government’s move to implement a Public Procurement Awards Ceremony to affirm entities who excel in different areas of public procurement.

“The awards will be one where we celebrate many winners in the public procurement system across the length and breadth of the public service in Jamaica. Our intention is to make public procurement a rewarding career choice and option with various ladders and stages,” highlighted Minister Clarke.

Day 1 of the conference also saw remarks from Dr. Sandra Omeally, Executive Director of the Public Procurement Commission, Lorenzo Escondeur, Chief of Operation, Inter-American Development Bank, Elizabeth Grandio, Senior Procurement Specialist, World Bank and a wave-making presentation from Dr. Magaret Rose, Attorney-at-Law and Senior Partner at Lex Caribbean in Trinidad and Tobago.

The day’s proceedings also featured an outside broadcast on Mello FM and interactive breakout sessions that tackled an array of issues such as the influence of artificial intelligence on public procurement, predictive analytics, bidding and framework agreements for procurement success and more.

Day 2 of the conference on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, will see presentations from Phillippe Pelletier, World Trade Organisation and Chorvelle Johnson-Cunningham, CEO of Sagicor Bank.

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For further information contact:

Corporate Communication & Public Relations Branch

Ministry of Finance and the Public Service

30 National Heroes Circle, Kingston 4

Tel: (876) 932-4656/4660/4655

Email: Shakiel.Rochester-Shorter@mof.gov.jm; Suzell.Wray@mof.gov.j