By PETER GREEN
The ink on the the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property (Amendment) Bill 2026 has not dried properly and already there is likely to be bacchanal brewing.
A Whistle Blower inside Heritage Petroleum Company Limited has warned that a bidding exercise may blow up in the face of the Government.
And the Whistle Blower is calling on Minister of Energy and Energy Industries, Dr Roodal Moonilal, and Heritage Chairman, Kurt Ramlal, to look into the matter before “Government is embarrassed.”
The Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property (Amendment) Bill was passed in the House of Representatives on September 23 by 23-10 votes. It was passed in the Senate on September 28 after Senate President Wade Mark used his casting vote to break a 15-15 deadlock.
So what is the issue here?
Tendering has started for a contract for the inspection of equipment at Heritage. The contract include the inspection and servicing of equipment including trucks, Pick-ups, Road Transport Wagons, Vacuum Trucks, Trailers for pipes, Cranes, Rigging, Excavators, backhoes, and forklifts, among other items.
This contract was done internally by the predecessor company, Petrotin. When Heritage succeeded Petrotrin, the employees did this job internally. Then contracts were awarded from 2023 until the last contract ended on July 31, 2026.
Companies have been invited to submit bids for this contract with a closing date fixed for October 15.
But the Whistle Blower, who works at Heritage says a “fishy smell” is emanating from inside the State-run company. “With the Procurement Bill gutted or let me say downsized, a certain company is being considered by persons in authority.”
The Whistle Blower said that one certain company, with a lone building in San Fernando, recently did work for Heritage (Not the same contract). “I have seen the job done by this company and it was signed off just this year. This company has no experience in doing this contract and although the value of its assets looks good on paper, we cannot say for sure that it has real value.”
When asked about the bids, the Whistle Blower said, “People in Heritage know what going on. It smells very fishy, that is why we want the Minister and the Chairman to look into it. This company has a favourable foot in the door.”
