PM says Imer Hernandez Won IDB Contract Fair & Square

Dean Barrow

As it relates to the recent contract that Imer Hernandez was awarded by the Inter-American Development Bank, Prime Minister Dean Barrow says that the tender process is done pursuant to the procurement policies of the I.D.B.  PM Barrow says that all requirements are set by the I.D.B. and Hernandez will be subject to rigorous supervision by an international firm.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“This is an IDB contract. There was an open bidding process, as I understand it. He was the lowest bidder. Even then the IDB said no, it cannot b e awarded because none of the local contractors satisfied all of the requisite criteria in terms of the IDB. So they had to reel and come again and the IDB agreed then that if you did something here and did something here, then everybody could again be seen as passing the qualification test and then you can make your decision based on the normal metrics. In that kind of context Mr. Imer Hernandez won fair and square. The IDB not only back stopped this in the normal course as with all their contracts but in a particular way. Also, I know for a fact because check, I was coming here today and I expected that I would be tasked about this matter, the supervising consultancy is to be done by some English firm that according to people in the Ministry of Works is the terror of any concern with whom they have to work and whom they have to monitor. So the IDB has made sure that there was a transparent process. The man won fairly by way of that transparent process. In terms of the actual discharge of the works, he will be subject to the most rigorous monitoring, supervision by this foreign firm. So I think enough said.”