DAVIES

The national airline, Air Jamaica, was last week brought before Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to answer to breaches of Government's procurement guidelines.

For a second consecutive week, Air Jamaica was called before the PAC to explain the breaches outlined in the Auditor General's Report of 2006/2007.

PAC members enquired as to why the national carrier had engaged the services of companies which had failed to submit Tax Compliance Certificates (TCC).

The auditor general had found that nine gas stations provided petrol to employees of Air Jamaica, without having current TCCs.

Air Jamaica's board member, Millicent Hughes, said of the nine companies, four have since submitted TCC certification to the auditor general, while one had withdrawn its services with the national airline.

The other four petrol suppliers were in the process of either getting their TCCs or their contracts would be terminated for noncompliance.

Hughes also informed that an additional month has been granted, until April 15, for these four operators to provide their TCCs.

The PAC members were also told that these companies were owed outstanding amounts by Air Jamaica.

PAC chairman, Dr Omar Davies, asked Hughes what had convinced the airline that this time, the delinquent companies would comply with the deadline.

"(We have insisted that) if you can't produce in a month, we won't do business with you," said Hughes.

Dr Davies said: "All persons wishing to do business with Air Jamaica should be aware of the procurement guidelines governing Air Jamaica's acquisition of goods or services."

Hughes said all existing contracts with the airline were being examined to ascertain whether persons had valid TCCs.