OCG responds to Opposition Spokesman, Karl Samuda’s concerns regarding the OCG’s involvement in the impending divestment of the Norman Manley International Airport

Kingston; February 19, 2013 – The Office of the Contractor General (OCG) has taken note of the concerns which have been raised by the Opposition Spokesman on Infrastructural Development, Mr. Karl Samuda, and which has been captured by at least one media entity, that there has been ‘…no mention made of the involvement of the Contractor General…’ in the process for the divestment of the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA).

The referenced divestment has been subjected to the scrutiny of the OCG from as early as April 23, 2008, when the then Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Administration had announced its intent to divest the said Asset. The OCG wishes to assure the Public that its Office will continue to monitor the captioned divestment.

The OCG considers the monitoring of the divestment of State Assets, regardless of the modality applied, to be a critical component of the OCG’s operational mandate, as it seeks to ensure that lucrative State Assets are divested in accordance with the Government’s own Privatization and/or Public Private Privatization Policies, and in a manner which ensures competition, transparency and the attainment of a fair market value.

The NMIA divestment process is only one of over sixty (60) Asset Divestments and/or Public Private Partnerships which are currently subject to the OCG’s scrutiny and sustained monitoring processes. Instructively, the OCG is also keenly monitoring the process and/or processes for the divestment of the Caymans Economic Zone, the Kingston Lifestyle Centre and the recently announced intent to divest the Ian Fleming Airport, pursuant to the Public Private Partnership framework.