The Belize Social Investment Fund (BSIF) has ‘categorically’ rejected accusations levelled at it regarding the award of contracts to a particular contractor under projects implemented through the Fund.
In a statement, the BSIF said that it has become aware of social media posts containing the allegations and ‘categorically rejects any suggestion of favouritism, improper influence, or preferential treatment in the award of contracts’. The BSIF expressed ‘deep concern over the dissemination of inaccurate and misleading information that has the potential to damage the reputation of the institution and the confidence of the public, development partners, contractors, and beneficiaries.
‘BSIF is a statutory body entrusted with the implementation of development projects on behalf of the Government of Belize and is funded through partnerships with various multilateral development banks.’
It said as such, all procurement activities are conducted ‘under stringent procurement, fiduciary, financial management, auditing, and oversight frameworks established by these institutions and are subject to multiple layers of review and accountability’.
BSIF said that contrary to the assertions being circulated, under the procurement frameworks governing BSIF-financed projects, contracts exceeding prescribed thresholds are subject to open competitive tendering, ensuring broad market access, transparency, and equal opportunity for all eligible firms.
‘Procurement opportunities are publicly advertised and evaluated against predefined technical, financial, legal, and administrative criteria,’ it said, adding that consequently, contract awards are based on responsiveness and value for money considerations rather than bidder identity, resulting in awards being distributed among a diverse pool of contractors that have successfully met the requirements of competitive procurement processes across multiple project cycles and sectors.
Furthermore, BISF said all procurement processes it has undertaken ‘are documented and subject to rigorous review mechanisms, including independent evaluation committees; internal management review; procurement oversight by financing institutions where applicable and external audits conducted by independent auditors.
It said financial management reviews and fiduciary assessments and monitoring missions by development partners also fom part of the process.
‘These controls exist specifically to prevent the type of misconduct being alleged and to ensure that public and development resources are utilized responsibly and transparently.
‘The Belize Social Investment Fund remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of governance, fiduciary responsibility, and procurement integrity in all aspects of its operations,’ the statement added.