One of the recurring decimals during the tenure of the previous administration which formed the Government was the frequency with which concerns were raised by the Auditor General and Contractor General about the bypassing of established contracts procedures.

Year after year, report after report, both public officers tabled a litany of concerns about administrative blunders and questionable transactions. Very little was done to address these concerns. Indeed, typically, the response of government ministers and their aides was to obfuscate the issues and to move on to the next episode. With no sanctions and very little public censure, there was no compelling reason for them to behave otherwise.

It would hardly cause any surprise, therefore, to learn this week of yet another set of transactions warranting an investigation into how deals were struck and how public money was spent, this time through the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, in relation to the distribution of free light bulbs from Cuba.

On the basis of what was reported in Parliament this week by Energy Minister Clive Mullings, the former junior minister, Kern Spencer, owes this country and not just his party a full explanation of the basis on which approvals were granted for the payment of millions of dollars to two companies for 'services' rendered.

We make no charge of venality or personal financial corruption on the part of any of the principles involved. It is disturbing, however, that the government of the day or its representatives could have apparently entered into a contract to commit millions of dollars of public funds to a company that was not registered with the National Contracts Committee, and who apparently did not win the right to do business with the state through any competitive bidding. It cannot be that senior public officials are so afflicted with amnesia that they do not realise when breaches of procedure are being committed.

We trust that as the investigations into this deal unfolds, all relevant information will be shared with the public and that appropriate sanctions will be applied as necessary.

At the same time, the incumbent administration would do well to be mindful that the Jamaican public has not voted against past breaches with any intention to overlook and embrace them under their watch. The Jamaican public wants good governance and less politicking.

Should corruption be proved, it would be most unfortunate that the goodwill of the Cuban government, and the Jamaican taxpayer, should have been exploited this way.

This exposé requires an unambiguous explanation from Mr. Spencer and his senior minister, Phillip Paulwell.

This episode has again thrown into sharp focus the importance of having enforceable systems to stem corruption. Individuals cannot always be relied on to act with prudence.

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