by Linda Straker
- Names of Public Procurement Review Commission gazetted 5 months after appointments
- Tanya Lambert has 13 years legal experience
- Other Commission members are Terrence Smith, Julia Lawrence, Mahindra Robin Singh and Ken-Martin Whiteman
Five months after they were nominated, accepted to the positions, and then appointed, the Office of the Governor-General published the names of the people serving on the Public Procurement Review Commission (PPRC).
“Pursuant to Section 8 (1) of the Public Procure[1]ment and Disposal of Public Property Act No. 39 of 2014, which established the Public Procurement Review Commission, the Public is hereby informed that the Governor-General, Her Excellency Dame Cécile La Grenade, GCMG, OBE, acting in accordance with Section 9 (1) and (2), has appointed the following persons to the Public Procurement Review Commission, with effect from August 1, 2023, for a period of three (3) years,” said the notice sent for publication on 29 February and published in the 1 March edition of the Government Gazette.
The 9-year-old legislation states the membership of the Commission shall comprise a Chairman and 4 Commissioners being individuals with a minimum of experience of 10 years in the disciplines of law, accounting, finance, economics, procurement, engineering and public administration, to be appointed by the Governor-General.
“The Chairman of the Commission shall be a retired judge or an attorney-at-law of at least 10 years qualification,” the law instructs.
Chair Tanya Lambert, according to her LinkedIn page, is an attorney-at-law licenced to practice in the jurisdiction of Grenada with postgraduate, specialised training in International Maritime Law and Public International Law from the world-renowned International Maritime Organisation affiliated institution.
Lambert has 13 years of legal experience in corporate governance, civil and criminal litigation, contracts, intellectual property, divorce, family law, conveyancing, immigration, global citizenship investment, maritime law, company law, tax appeals and estate matters.
The other members of the Commission are Terrence Smith, Julia Lawrence, Mahindra Robin Singh and Ken-Martin Whiteman.
According to Section 8 of the legislation, the purpose of the Public Procurement Review Commission is to:
(a) resolve disputes arising from candidates who claim to have suffered or to risk suffering, loss or damage due to the breach of a duty imposed on a procuring entity by this Act and the Regulations
(b) adjudicate the Board’s decisions made against procuring entities on investigations and debarment of suppliers, contractors, consultants and service providers from participating in procurement proceedings; and
(c) such other powers as are provided for under this Act and the Regulations
It must be noted that the Governor-General acts on advice from the Prime Minister when it comes to the appointments to Boards and Commissions after the Cabinet of Ministers makes a final decision during a cabinet meeting. The exception is if the law which establishes the entity provides for stakeholders to submit its representatives.