DAVIES

Tyrone Reid and Edmond Campbell, Staff Reporters

After coming under intense pressure from the unions representing the 67,000-strong public sector workers, the Finance and Planning Ministry, according to one union representative, has confessed that the selection process was flawed and that the more than $2 billion, Government Employees Administrative Services Only (GEASO) Health Scheme may have to go back to tender a third time.

Despite having the resolute backing of Contractor General Greg Christie, who insisted that the ministry's recommendation and the subsequent National Contracts Commission's (NCC) endorsement were done with probity and transparency, Hopeton Henry, president of the Jamaica Teachers' Association, told The Gleaner/Power 106 News Centre yesterday that Dr. Omar Davies admitted that the process was skewed.

"Well, the minister himself, the Honourable Omar Davies, agreed that the process, which led to the naming of LoJ (Life of Jamaica) to deliver health service to the public sector, was flawed," Henry said shortly after coming out of the closed-door meeting at the ministry's National Heroes Circle offices.

Henry added: "It was pointed out where breaches took place, and he admitted that the Ministry of Finance was at fault."

Efforts to contact Dr. Davies and his Junior Minister, Fitz Jackson, were unsuccessful.

Committee to meet today

Mr. Henry also revealed that the GEASO monitoring committee is set to meet with Jackson today to determine, "whether, in the minister's words, the process is mortally wounded or whether it can be salvaged to go forward with the breaches being corrected."

Henry also said it was agreed that in the interim, Blue Cross should continue to provide health coverage to public sector workers.

In the meantime, Contractor General Christie has chided former Health Minister John Junor for publicly questioning the legality of his action in publishing the NCC's endorsement of LoJ ahead of Cabinet approval.

Mr. Christie also lashed the outgoing Member of Parliament for stating in Gordon House that the Office of the Contractor-General had published on its website that the GEASO contract has already been approved in favour of LoJ.

"We believe that your assertion, as above, sir, is a reckless one, as it can in no way be substantiated," said Christie in his letter to Mr. Junor.

"As a Member of Parliament and as a former member of the Cabinet, we would strongly urge you to be more careful, responsible and circumspect in your public utterances," Christie added.

However, in a subsequent interview with the Gleaner/Power 106 News, Mr. Junor maintained that given the controversy, Mr. Christie should not have published his endorsement.

But contrary to Mr. Junor's assertion, the OC-G released its monthly NCC endorsement list a day before The Gleaner broke the story on June 14 regarding the possible change of health carriers, which later triggered the controversy.