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The Tobago Regional Health Authority has been ordered to pay TT$44,100 in costs after an Office of Procurement Regulation panel found that the authority breached two provisions of Trinidad and Tobago's public procurement law. The October 16, 2026 order identifies the successful applicant as J.M. Mercedes Property Management, Consultancy and Contracting Services Limited. The challenge concerned RFP reference QUAL-MGT01/25, a proposal for engaging a consultancy to implement a quality management system at the authority. The panel found that TRHA's actions in the procurement proceedings breached sections 5(2) and 30(1)(a) of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Act. It ordered TRHA to pay the applicant TT$44,100 by December 16. The total comprised TT$28,500 for an advocate attorney-at-law and TT$15,600 for an instructing attorney-at-law. The panel dismissed the applicant's separate claim for bid-submission costs because those costs had not been specifically proved. The official order records that the applicant filed for review on September 17, TRHA filed its reply on September 28 and the challenge was heard on October 12. Opposition Senator Dr Margaret Rose, whose name appears on the order as the applicant's representative, discussed the outcome at a People's National Movement media conference on October 22. Rose said the open tender had attracted interest from 14 prospective bidders but received one bid by the closing date. She alleged that the bidder then went months without communication and was told that the procurement had been cancelled shortly after writing to the authority when the bid-validity period expired. Those additional details are attributed to Rose's account. The published OPR order independently confirms the parties, tender reference, statutory breaches and costs award, but it does not provide detailed written reasons for the panel's findings.
The Tobago Regional Health Authority has been ordered to pay TT$44,100 in costs after an Office of Procurement Regulation panel found that the authority breached two provisions of Trinidad and Tobago’s public procurement law.
The October 16, 2026 order identifies the successful applicant as J.M. Mercedes Property Management, Consultancy and Contracting Services Limited.
The challenge concerned RFP reference QUAL-MGT01/25, a proposal for engaging a consultancy to implement a quality management system at the authority.
The panel found that TRHA’s actions in the procurement proceedings breached sections 5(2) and 30(1)(a) of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Act.
It ordered TRHA to pay the applicant TT$44,100 by December 16. The total comprised TT$28,500 for an advocate attorney-at-law and TT$15,600 for an instructing attorney-at-law.
The panel dismissed the applicant’s separate claim for bid-submission costs because those costs had not been specifically proved.
The official order records that the applicant filed for review on September 17, TRHA filed its reply on September 28 and the challenge was heard on October 12. Opposition Senator Dr Margaret Rose, whose name appears on the order as the applicant’s representative, discussed the outcome at a People’s National Movement media conference on October 22.
Rose said the open tender had attracted interest from 14 prospective bidders but received one bid by the closing date. She alleged that the bidder then went months without communication and was told that the procurement had been cancelled shortly after writing to the authority when the bid-validity period expired.
Those additional details are attributed to Rose’s account. The published OPR order independently confirms the parties, tender reference, statutory breaches and costs award, but it does not provide detailed written reasons for the panel’s findings.
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