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Civil engineer, Karl D. Martin, is to be appointed to the National Contracts Commission, succeeding the late Anthony Gibson, who passed away last year.
The announcement was made at yesterday's (February 6) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House, by Information Minister, Senator Burchell Whiteman, who pointed out that Cabinet had supported the appointment.

Mr. Martin is currently co-ordinator of new initiatives and special projects in the Directorate of Policy, Planning and Evaluation in the Ministry of Transport and Works.

Commenting on the service given by Mr. Gibson, the Minister said he was "a very valued and long-serving member of the Commission".

The National Contracts Commission was established through an amendment to the Contractor General Act in 1999, as an independent Commission of Parliament, responsible for overseeing the public sector procurement process.

The Commission carries out certain activities and functions in fulfilling its mission, which include, examining tenders for the award of contracts;

recommending contracts award to government agencies and Cabinet as required; establishing a national register of public sector contractors, and grading them in accordance with their capabilities, and categorizing them in specified skills areas.

It also makes recommendations to Cabinet for improving the efficiency of the procedures for the granting and implementation of government contracts, and oversees the activities of sector committees established by the Commission to help it discharge its responsibilities.

Standardized contractor registration procedures and new procurement guidelines ensure that the contracts award process is discharged with integrity. These standardized procedures, which place emphasis on transparency and consistency at all stages of public sector procurement, will guide agencies in the invitation, evaluation and documentation of the contractor selection process.

The Commission has the power to make regulations as provided for in the Act and therefore may determine the qualifications of prospective contractors and consultants for registration and classification; the procedure for submission of tenders for government contracts; the requirement for contractors to enter into performance bonds, competitive bidding for government contracts, and the circumstances and procedures for cancelling the registration of contractors and consultants.

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