2 March 2025 | Sunday Gleaner In Focus | Win for transparency: Restoring public access to procurement database

Most Jamaicans who pay attention to matters of governance, particularly those who harbour concerns for the impact of corruption on Jamaica’s development, would be familiar with the now seven-year-old public and parliamentary debate on Section 53.3 of the Integrity Commission Act, aka the “gag clause”. What might surprise them is to discover that there was not one but two “gag clauses”, and what would delight them is discovering that one will be removed – a big win for transparency, our right to access information and the fight to reduce corruption.

The joint select committee tasked to review the Integrity Commission Act, 2017 concluded its meeting on February 18, agreeing to recommend to the Cabinet and Parliament that Section 56.1 of the Integrity Commission Act be amended to provide greater clarity and direction for the Integrity Commission (IC) in the discharge of its duties. The commission’s interpretation of this section had effectively placed another “gag” on the anti-corruption institution, and we wish to publicly thank the committee, its chair – Marlene Malahoo-Forte, Marlene Aldred and the team from Legal Reform, for their deliberations that led to this unanimous decision. This decision will return to the people of Jamaica, access to information on public procurement that has been denied for the last four years.