Edmond Campbell, Senior News Coordinator

Christie

The deadline for public bodies to submit outstanding Quarterly Contract Awards (QCA) reports to the Office of the Contractor General expired at midday on Thursday and there are indications that some agencies are still delinquent.

A spokesperson from the Office of the Contractor General told The Gleaner on Thursday that Contractor General Greg Christie would issue a statement next week on the matter.

However, a source told The Gleaner that some public bodies are yet to comply fully with the Contractor Generals request for QCA reports.

In a letter to the principals and accounting heads of public bodies on October 30, Mr. Christie warned agencies in violation of section 29 of the Contractor General's Act that he would pursue criminal sanctions if his requisitions for information were ignored.

The warning was issued to the Cabinet Secretary, the Financial Secretary, permanent secretaries and all accounting and principal officers of public bodies. A copy of his letter was issued to the Prime Minister, the Director of Public Prosecutions, ministers of government, the Auditor General, the Attorney-General and the Solicitor General.

Under section 29 of the Contractor General's Act "every person who fails to comply with any lawful requirement of a Contractor General or any other person under this act shall be guilty of an offence". If convicted, offenders could face both fine and imprisonment.

In October the Contractor General disclosed that, of the 191 public bodies which were served with the Office of the Contractor General's July 11, QCA requisition, only 81 had responded. With regard to the 2006 third quarter QCA reports, which were due on October 31, only 25 of the 191 public bodies had made submissions.