NASSAU, Bahamas – Bahamas Attorney General Carl Bethel on Thursday, February 4, suggested that the US State Department’s report on perceived corruption in the Bahamian government’s procurement process is due to Americans being unhappy about not receiving government contracts, the Nassau Guardian, one of The Bahamas’ leading newspapers, reported on Friday, February 5.
“I see in the paper today a United States report about perceived corruption in procurement, persons or American companies who may have been dealing on certain contracts are unhappy with the result,” Bethel said.
In its 2020 Investment Climate Statement on The Bahamas, the State Department stated that The Bahamian government does not have modern procurement legislation and companies have complained that the tender process for public contracts is not consistent and that it is difficult to obtain information on the status of bids.
“US firms have identified corruption as an obstacle to FDI (foreign direct investment) and have reported perceived corruption in government procurement and in the FDI approvals process,” the report stated, adding that “negative aspects of The Bahamas’ investment climate include: a lack of transparency in government procurement.”
The attorney general addressed the matter in the Senate. See complete Nassau Guardian article at https://thenassauguardian.com/ag-americans-should-report-any-instance-of-perceived-corruption/
