Integrity Commission flags $11.5 billion in same-day single-source contracts

The Integrity Commission has reported that in 2025 there were 1,618 instances in which a procuring entity made two or more single source awards to the same contractor on the same day, amounting to 4,317 contracts valued at $11.5 billion.

Director of Investigation at the Integrity Commission, Kevon Stephenson, reported that in the most pronounced cases, 19 awards were made to one contractor on a single day.

He said the instances were spread evenly across the four quarters, and are not therefore explained by the occurrence of Hurricane Melissa.

In 416 of them, comprising 1,619 contracts valued at $2.9 billion, the awards made on the same day together exceeded the single source limit for contracts, applying the higher 2025 limits, although each was within it.

“Such patterns may reflect legitimate arrangements, including the issue of separate purchase orders for discrete work packages and the urgent engagement of contractors after an emergency,” said Stephenson.

However, he noted that they may equally indicate the division of a single requirement into smaller contracts so as to remain within the limits for single source procurement. This, he said, was prohibited under Section 25G of the Public Procurement Act.

Stephenson said, “these instances warrant examination by the appropriate authorities”.

His comments are contained in a special report to Parliament.

- Edmond Campbell

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