Probe the Sandals initiative. That request has been made to the Integrity Commission by UNC activist Devant Maharaj who wants an investigation into the Rowley administration's procurement practices regarding award of a management contract for the Tobago Sandals Resort.
Maharaj sent a letter on the matter to Commission chairman Justice Zainool Hosein last Friday.
He said he was concerned about the Sandals matter because of the issues which have arisen from the procurement process for the inter-island ferries.
Submitting a list of reports on the issue from the public domain, Maharaj referenced statements quoting Sandals magnate Gordon "Butch" Stewart as saying that Dr Keith Rowley—while in Opposition—had discussed with him the possibility of Sandals being established in Tobago.
Maharaj said this particular conversation was reported in the media and has not been contested.
"Subsequently in 2016, the newly elected Rowley Administration without any tendering process essentially hand-picked Sandals Resorts to be awarded a management contract of a government-built hotel and will be the recipient of a variety of lucrative concessions.
"From all media reports it appears Government is proceeding with the Sandals arrangement and there has been no question or public enquiry as to how Sandals was selected to be the management service provider."
Maharaj said the public has not been advised if the Central Tenders Board has been involved in the award of this management contract.
He noted the plan involves a government-built hotel/resort, tax concessions, and other concessionary arrangements.
"There has been no disclosure of any Cabinet or any State Agency or entity approval of the awarding of same following a transparent competitive tendering process.
"The events in the public domain that transpired following the announcement of Sandals Resorts being offered the management contract presupposes some procurement process employed by the State to employ the services of Sandals. From all information in the public domain this appears not to be the case."
He said the issue has not been conducted under the new Procurement law, either. And the procurement process in this issue "is markedly different from the process being used by the same administration in an identical project in Trinidad".
Maharaj noted that on August 10, 2016, Udecott published a request for Expressions of Interest for the Design, Finance, Construction and Operation of a luxury hotel on the site of the Ministry of Agriculture at St Clair Circle.
"This raises significant queries regarding the Sandals Tobago proposal: why a similar approach of advertising for Expressions of Interest and Requests for Proposals was not taken in relation to Sandals Tobago.
"Why the shift away from the previous pattern in which the large international hotels were designed, built and fitted/furnished at our expense."
Maharaj claimed the award of a management contract “by invitation” by the administration, to the Sandals Group "after what appears to be a private and singular proposal to Government, goes against all international procurement benchmark standards".
Government officials have said negotiations are still on-going with the Sandals group. There was no indication on when this would be concluded or if ground would be broken on the project by year-end.