Procurement Regulator advised Govt on sale of Petrotrin refinery

Senior Reporter

jesse.ramdeo@cnc3.co.tt

Procurement Regulator Beverly Khan has confirmed that her office provided guidelines to the Government on the sale of the Petrotrin refinery and did not find anything “alarming with the initial steps.”

Since being mothballed in 2018, the Government has been moving towards selling the Pointe-a-Pierre plant. Fuelling that thrust is the $500,000 spent monthly to preserve the infrastructure.

During an exclusive interview with Guardian Media on Thursday, Khan addressed concerns regarding whether the systems in place to ensure transactions related to any possible sale of the refinery are conducted above board.

“We have provided some guidance based on best practice and based on the objects of the act,” she explained.

Recently, questions about proposed business deals linked to the sale of the refinery have taken the spotlight, after Indian businessman Naveen Jindal expressed interest in acquiring it. However, Jindal would later pull out of any possible deal, citing character assassination from the Opposition UNC.

The Opposition claimed Jindal faced corruption charges in his country and that proper vetting procedures were not being executed regarding any sale of the Petrotrin refinery.

Calls have subsequently been ramped up for due process to be adhered to in the sale of the refinery.

Khan contended that the matter remains on the Office of Procurement Regulation’s (OPR) radar.

“It does fall under the act, under the functions of the OPR we can audit, investigate not just in relation to procurement but in terms of the disposal of public property and public property as defined as in the act refers to real property and personal property.

“At this point in time, we do not have regulations regarding real property, but in the absence of that the OPR can give best practice advice and ensure disposal of public property is in compliance with the objectives of the act,” she said.

Khan confirmed that the guidance provided this year on the sale of the refinery has been well received and is confident that proper procedures will take place.

“I did not see anything alarming to as it relates to the initial steps, based on the information that was shared. The guidance we gave was maybe how to strengthen certain things based on best practices because we have no regulations, there was nothing that was shared with me that was alarming on the matter,” Khan added.

The post Procurement Regulator advised Govt on sale of Petrotrin refinery first appeared on CNC3.