February 25, 2010

Canadian government might skip tendering process for Haiti relief contract

MONTREAL

The Canadian government suggests it might skip the public tendering process in awarding a multimillion-dollar contract to build a temporary shelter for the Haitian government.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a $12-million commitment last week to help build a temporary base in Port-au-Prince for Haiti’s battered departments and its key public servants.

The government says it may bypass customary tendering guidelines in order to get construction going as quickly as possible. Government contracts over $25,000 are usually subject to a tendering process.

In an email to The Canadian Press, a spokeswoman for the federal Public Works department said sole-sourcing is allowed in cases where services could not be effectively delivered in an open process.

“Given the urgency of the situation in Haiti and the tight timelines, this contract may be awarded under PWGSC’s emergency contracting authorities,” the government said.

The base will house several temporary structures, as Haiti's key government buildings - including the education department, the revenue ministry, and the presidential palace - now lie in ruins.

Harper announced the project during his two-day trip to Haiti last week.

A spokeswoman for the Canadian International Development Agency said the building project could be completed within three weeks, once the site and supplier are chosen.

But the prospect of such a large contract being awarded without a public bidding process has raised the ire of the Opposition Liberals, who have displayed an increasing willingness in recent days to question the government's performance on the Haiti file.

“Doing this without a public tender is outside the normal practice,” said Bob Rae, the Liberal foreign-affairs critic, in an email exchange.

“The government will no doubt argue that time is of the essence, but that's no reason to avoid a scoped and focused competition altogether.”

-Canadian Press

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