During one of the regular session asked the appropriate committee of the Senate to look into the existing law whether there is a need to revise or eliminate it.
“I ask the appropriate committee to look into reviewing it thoroughly to see if the procurement act is no longer needed,” Akitaya said.
Earlier the President’s Office has waived the provisions of the Palau Government’s Procurement Act in relation to the Taiwan grant and the projects to be funded by the money.
President Johnson Toribiong said that the requirements of the Taiwan grant makes it difficult for Palau to follow the existing procurement laws.
The Taiwan grant requires that all the projects to be funded by the grant be completed and paid for by no later than the end of the calendar year.
In the grant condition, the Taiwan government also specified that only Taiwanese companies are eligible to participate in offering bids, which does not run consistent with Palau’s procurement laws which opens up bids to all companies.
However it was learned that Palauan companies are supposed to be allowed as well to participate in the bidding process.
Akitaya said a similar condition was imposed in the 1990’s pertaining to Japan grants.
In waiving the procurement law, the president has said that Taiwan has been providing economic development for Palau for year.
Taiwan continues to be Palau’s generous economic partner saying that development in the states in the form of new roads, new buildings and a solar panel to be installed at the Ministry of Education are part of the funding from the nation.
Taiwan has also provided grants to build the National Capitol, the Cultural Center and Belau National Museum and helped to construct essential elements of basic infrastructure.
Toribiong however gave the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Industries and Commerce Minister Jackson Ngiraingas discretion to reject any bid or proposals he deems to have the inability to complete or undertake the project under the ROC grant requirements.
