Functions of the Contractor-General

(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the functions of the Contractor-General shall be as followsContractor- General. (a) to monitor the award and the implementation of public contracts with a view to ensuring that– (i) such contracts are awarded impartially and on merit; (ii) the circumstances in which each contract is awarded or, as the case may be, terminated, do not involve any impropriety or irregularity; (iii) without prejudice to the functions of any public body in relation to any contract, the implementation of each such contract conforms to the terms thereof; 13 (iv) there is no fraud, corruption, mismanagement, waste or abuse in the awarding of contracts by a public body; (b) to any such fraud, mismanagement, waste or abuse; (c) to develop policy guidelines, evaluate programme performance and monitor actions taken by a public body with respect to the award, execution and termination of contracts; and (d) to monitor the grant, issue, suspension or revocation of any prescribed licence, with a view to ensuring that the circumstances of such grant, issue, suspension or revocation do not involve impropriety or irregularity and, where appropriate, to examine whether such licence is used in accordance with the terms and conditions thereof. (2) For the purpose of the discharge of his functions under this Act, the Contractor-General shall be entitled– (a) to be advised of the award and, where applicable, the variation of any public contract by the public body responsible for such contract; (b) subject to section 19, to have access to all books, records, documents, stores or other property belonging to a public body, whether in the possession of any officer of a public body or a contractor or any other person; (c) to have access to any premises or location where work on a public contract has been, is being or is to be carried out; 14 (d) to have access to all books, records, documents or other property used in connection with the grant, issue, suspension or revocation of any prescribed licence whether in the possession of any public officer or any other person; (e) to have access to any premises or location where he has reason to believe that any such books, records, documents or other property as are referred to in paragraph (d) above or any property which is the subject of a prescribed licence, may be found; (f) to enter any premises occupied by any person in order to make such enquiries or to inspect such document, record or property as he considers necessary to any matter being investigated by him; and (g) without prejudice to the provisions of sections 18 and 19, to retain any such document, record or other property referred to in paragraph (f) above. (3) For the purpose of sub-section (2), the Contractor- General shall have power to require any public body to furnish in such manner and at such times as may be specified by the Contractor-General, information with regard to the award of any contract and such other information in relation thereto as the Contractor-General considers desirable. (4) For the purposes of paragraph (d) and (e) of sub-section (2), the Contractor-General shall have power to require any public officer or any other person to furnish in such manner and at such times as may be specified by the Contractor-General, information with regard to the grant, issue, suspension, or revocation of any prescribed licence and such other information in relation thereto as the Contractor-General considers desirable. 15