The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining notes a recent article published by the Jamaica Gleaner on January 19, 2026, which referenced the Auditor General’s Report.
The Ministry affirms that at all times, its actions complied with the Public Procurement Act of 2015.
In this regard, the Ministry wishes to note the following:
1. The audit report relates to the 2021/2022 financial year, a period during the COVID-19 pandemic, when restrictions on physical meetings were in effect in keeping with the Disaster Risk Management (Enforcement Measures).
2. Section 2.2.5.1 of the Procurement Guidelines allows for the use of a “Round Robin” approach by Procurement Committees in situations of urgency. This provision was relied upon during the period in question and is the same section referenced by the Auditor General in the report.
3. Procurement Committee meetings were held virtually and were recorded. However, while minutes were taken, they were inadvertently not downloaded and archived before being overwritten on the system. Notwithstanding this, the Ministry consistently provided all requested information to the Auditor General as part of its governance responsibility to remain transparent and compliant.
4. The total sum of approximately J$870 million referenced in the report was expended to bona fide contractors and there were no allegations of malfeasance.
The Ministry wishes to make it clear that the referenced procurements were executed in full compliance with procurement laws. All resources were properly documented, reviewed and approved and the requisite contracts were legally in place.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining remains fully committed to compliance with all Acts of Government, regulations, policies and guidelines governing procurement and the use of public funds.
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