Raymond warns procurement law changes could fuel corruption

Char­tered sur­vey­or and for­mer pres­i­dent of the Joint Con­sul­ta­tive Coun­cil for the Con­struc­tion In­dus­try, Afra Ray­mond has warned that re­cent amend­ments to the Pub­lic Pro­cure­ment and Dis­pos­al of Pub­lic Prop­er­ty (Amend­ment) Bill, 2026, have placed the coun­try on the precipice of con­fu­sion and cor­rup­tion.

Speak­ing at the Port-of-Spain Ro­tary Club meet­ing yes­ter­day, Ray­mond, who was one of the ad­vo­cates for the leg­is­la­tion, said the law was de­signed to en­sure ac­count­abil­i­ty in the use of pub­lic funds.

How­ev­er, he said the amend­ments to the law were now plac­ing the coun­try at risk of in­creased abuse and re­duced over­sight.