Minister Halkitis Addresses Budget Commentary

While addressing the topic of budget commenta1y, on June 8, 2026, Minister of

Finance the Hon. Michael Halkitis noted that the Government was aware that

there had been some public discussion and even criticism regarding the public

procurement practices, including suggestions that procedures were being

misused or bypassed.

 

“While we accept the observations, we must understand that procurement is not

static,” Minister Halkitis said during his remarks on the Second Reading for the

Annual Budget 2026/2027, in the House of Assembly. “It is a system that

evolves over time.”

 

“Therefore, strengthening processes, improving transparency, and building

capacity are ongoing efforts that require time, discipline, and continuous

reform,” he added.

 

Minister Halkitis pointed out that it was also important to recognise that

strengthening procurement was not only about systems: it was about “people,

capacity, and professionalism”.

 

He said: “And, so, over the past year, I can advise that 60 public servants from

various government agencies have attained Level II ce1tification from the inter•

nationally-recognised Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply. A fu1tber

three officers have completed the Level IV Diploma programme within the past

fifteen months.” •

 

Minister Halkitis added: “Thirty participants from government and the private

sector completed an Inter-American Development Bank-suppo1ted co1irse on

preparing bidding documents; and another thirty public officers participated in

training on best practices for evaluating vendor proposals.”

 

Those initiatives, he stated, ensured that procurement decisions are not only

transparent, but also “technically rigorous, fair, and aligned with international

standards”.

 

“And we are continuing this work,” Minister Halkitis said.

 

He added: “Planned initiatives for the upcoming 2026/2027 year include procurement

workshops focused on Family Island vendors and increasing women’s

participation; the establishment of a multi-stakeholder consultative group; and

the creation of a public service career path for procurement professionals.”

 

Minister Halkitis announced that his Ministry would, in short order, undertake

a comprehensive operational assessment of the procurement system, covering

the period 2021 to 2026.

 

“It is envisaged that this report will provide valuable insights into areas where

improvements can be made to enhance the existing procurement platform, and

with guide the development of policies to further strengthen the system,” he

stated.

Minister Halkitis noted that public procurement operated within clearly defined

categories, including open competitive bidding, restricted tendering, and, in

limited circumstances, sole tender or direct awards.

 

“Competitive bidding remains the standard approach, ensuring fairness, transparency,

and broad participation,” he said. “Sole-tender awards, on the other

hand, are permitted only under specific and clearly defined conditions such as

urgency, technical constraints, or where there is only a single qualified provider.”

 

“The existence of these categories is not new,” Minister Halkitis added. “What is

new is the level of transparency and oversight now applied to them.”

 

He pointed out that public procurement in The Bahamas had undergone ” a significant

transformation” in recent years. “What we are seeing today is not a

system standing still, but one that is evolving, improving, and becoming more

transparent with each step forward,” Minister Halkitis said.

 

He added: “Through the Government’s eProcurement system, we now have a

centralised, digital, and traceable record of procurement activity across Government.

Contracts are no longer opaque or fragmented, they are captured, monitored,

and open to scrutiny. Since ,July 2024, for the first time in history, the

Government has been publishing monthly public procurement notices on its

website. These notices provide detailed information on the procurement of

goods, works, and services across ministries and agencies.”

 

Those repo1ts, Minister Halkitis stated, had been published “eve1y single month,

without interruption”.

 

“This means that procurement activity is no longer occasional or selective in its

disclosure: it is consistent, systematic, and transparent,” he said.

 

Minister Halkitis went further to state that, between September 2021 and that

date of his presentation in the House of Assembly, approximately 8,000 procurement

opportunities bad been awarded, with a total value of approximately

$1.39 billion.

 

“The majority of these contracts have been directed toward infrastructure, sup•

porting the construction and repair of roads, government buildings, bridges and

docks in the Family Islands, as well as airport terminals and runways,” he said.

 

Minister Halkitis added that that was not just a statistic.

 

“This is real economic activity flowing into the Bahamian economy,” he said.

 

Minister Halkitis continued: “When we examine the structure of these awards,

an important point emerges: 29 large contracts, valued above $2.5 million,

totaling approximately $569 million, approved by Cabinet; 182 medium contracts,

between $400,000 and $2.5 million, totaling approximately $155 million,

approved by the Procurement Board; and nearly 7,800 smaller contracts, under

$400,000, totaling approximately $66 million, approved at the Ministry level.”

 

“Of the approximately $1.39 billion in contracts awarded, over $1.36 billion has

gone to Bahamian companies,” he said. “This represents more than 98 percent

of total procurement spending remaining right here in The Bahamas.