Agriculture Ministry: Procurement committee records for $870m in contracts ‘inadvertently’ lost; no allegation of wrongdoing

The agriculture ministry says while minutes from virtual procurement committee meetings involving $870 million in contracts were “inadvertently” lost, the contracts were "properly" awarded. The response follows the Auditor General's Department's conclusion that transparency in processes was "compromised".

“The total sum of approximately J$870 million referenced in the report was expended to bona fide contractors and there were no allegations of malfeasance,” the ministry said in a statement on Monday responding to an audit of its accounts for the 2021–2022 financial year.

In its 2024–2025 annual report released last week, the auditor general said the ministry “did not provide evidence that the procurement committee met and reviewed recommendations” for the award of contracts and the procurement of goods and services totalling $868.85 million.

“Consequently, the audit was unable to confirm whether procurement decisions were subject to appropriate review and compliance with established rules. This lack of oversight compromised transparency and heightened the risk of the ministry not achieving value for money,” the report stated.

The ministry says “at all times, its actions complied" with the Public Procurement Act.

It explained that procurement committee meetings were conducted virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic, when restrictions on physical meetings were in effect.

“While minutes were taken, they were inadvertently not downloaded and archived before being overwritten on the system,” the ministry said. “Notwithstanding this, the ministry consistently provided all requested information to the auditor general as part of its governance responsibility to remain transparent and compliant.”

According to the auditor general, the ministry acknowledged the concern but said that while procurement committee minutes were unavailable, “evaluation reports confirmed compliance with competitive bidding requirements”.

However, the auditor general said that explanation did not address the core breach because although evaluation reports showed adherence to competitive bidding, “the failure of the procurement committee to meet and review recommendations for the award of contracts/procurement of goods and services contravened Sections 2.2.5 and 2.2.5.1 of the Government of Jamaica Procurement Guidelines”.

The ministry said the procurement guidelines referenced by the auditor general allow for a round-robin approach, which it said was relied upon during the period under review.

A round-robin approach allows members of a committee to review and approve recommendations individually—usually by email or electronic circulation—rather than meeting collectively, typically in urgent situations.

The ministry further stated that “the referenced procurements were executed in full compliance with procurement laws. All resources were properly documented, reviewed and approved and the requisite contracts were legally in place.”

Sections 2.2.5 and 2.2.5.1 of the Government of Jamaica Procurement Guidelines require procurement committees to review contract award recommendations, ensure compliance with procurement rules, maintain comprehensive records, and provide oversight to ensure value for money.

The auditor general concluded that the procurement committee’s failure to convene and review recommendations “constituted a breach of governance and accountability obligations under the Government of Jamaica Procurement Framework”.

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