THE OFFICE of the Contractor General (OCG) is pressing Government to amend its procurement rules.

The OCG wants the new rules to force private corporate entities tendering for government contracts to submit certified and sworn particulars of their incorporation documents.

In his annual report tabled in Parliament Tuesday, Contractor General Greg Christie also suggested that certified particulars of the companies' shareholders and "beneficial shareholders" also be submitted.

According to the OCG, there has been a growing trend of onshore and offshore incorporated private companies receiving Government of Jamaica contracts, but their shareholders are not known.

Significant concerns

"These practices have posed significant concerns for the OCG, particularly regarding the issue of transparency in the expenditure of taxpayers' money," Christie said.

The OCG said its concerns came against the background of the majority of the more than 10,000 government contracts, valued at more than $250,000, awarded to corporate entities last year.

Commenting on the challenges faced by the contractor general, the report stated that the OCG has been generally frustrated in its ability to obtain certified particulars of the shareholders and beneficial shareholders of companies incorporated in foreign jurisdictions and which have benefited from government contracts. The report stated that the lawful jurisdiction of a contractor general is confined to Jamaica.

The OCG noted that the Jamaican Constitution expressly requires parliamentarians to make declarations about interests which they might have in commercial entities doing business with Government.