Prescribed Licence Information Database (PLID)

Introduction

The Office of the Contractor General (OCG) is mandated by Section 4 (1) (b) of the Contractor General Act “... 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”.

A “Prescribed Licence” is defined by Section 2 of the Contractor General Act as “any licence, certificate, quota, permit or warrant issued or granted pursuant to any enactment by a Public Body or an officer thereof.”

Pursuant to its mandate, the OCG has embarked upon a systematic process of collecting and collating vital information and data which is related to the prescribed licensing activities, processes and requirements of Government of Jamaica Public Bodies. By way of a formal OCG Statutory Requisition, which was dated May 7, 2009, 195 Public Bodies were directly required to furnish information regarding their prescribed licensing activities, if any, to the OCG.

The information which was furnished, together with supporting pieces of licensing legislation and other pertinent data which was retrieved by the OCG from the Internet, have been painstakingly researched, collated and entered into an OCG Prescribed Licence Information Database (PLID) which was designed and developed in-house by the OCG for this purpose.

The PLID web portal, which has now been formally launched, will be utilized by the OCG in its monitoring of the prescribed licensing activities of Government of Jamaica Public Bodies. Very importantly, however, the Database will also serve as a central and ‘one-stop’ information facility for members of the Public, Public Bodies, Government Regulatory Authorities and the Media. These stakeholders will be able to access a wealth of vital and continuously updated information regarding the prescribed licensing activities, processes and requirements of Government of Jamaica Public Bodies. Contact information for each listed Public Body is also provided in the PLID.

The PLID is a comprehensive and extensive Database. It currently covers over 190 Public Bodies and more than 600 different kinds of Prescribed Government Licences. Once the OCG expands the Database and begins to populate it with additional data which will be secured from its monitoring activities, an unprecedented level of public transparency as regards Public Body licensing matters, together with a heightened degree of accountability and probity on the part of the affected Public Bodies, will be automatically realized in consequence of this unique OCG initiative.

Description of Links to the PLID

There are two links which are provided below to facilitate access to the PLID. The first, “General Public – View Prescribed Licence Information”, can be freely used by anyone to access the PLID and to view all of the information which is stored in the Database.

The second link, “Public Bodies Only - View and Edit Prescribed Licence Information”, is password protected and is accessible only to the Accounting or Principal Officers of the listed Public Bodies or to any other person who is so authorized by an Accounting or Principal Officer. This link should be utilized by a Public Body solely for the purpose of updating, maintaining and/or verifying the accuracy of the information in the PLID which relates to it. Under cover of letter which was dated November 27, 2009, the OCG has provided a unique password to each listed Public Body to facilitate its access to this link.

Conditions of Use, Caveats and Disclaimers

The OCG is unable to warrant the accuracy of the information which is contained in the PLID.

The PLID contains information which has been supplied to the OCG by the listed Public Bodies. The information was furnished, in writing, in response to a formal OCG Statutory Requisition which was directed to all listed Public Bodies.

The OCG, in some instances, has supplemented the furnished information with additional data which it has obtained from the Internet. 

Every reasonable precaution has been taken by the OCG to accurately enter the referenced information into the PLID. Where typographical or other errors are identified in the PLID, and are brought to the OCG's attention, the OCG will do all that is reasonably possible to ensure that they are speedily corrected.

All listed Pubic Bodies have been formally required by the OCG, by way of letter dated November 27, 2009, to diligently peruse the PLID to ensure that the entered information, as it pertains to them, is entirely accurate. The referenced Public Bodies have also been required, on a continuous basis, to verify, update and maintain the accuracy of the information which is stored in the PLID.

It is a criminal offence under the Contractor General Act for any person to fail, without lawful justification or excuse, to comply with a lawful requirement of a Contractor General, or to wilfully make a false statement to mislead a Contractor General.

Persons who use the PLID are encouraged to directly contact a listed Public Body with any questions or enquires which they may have regarding that Public Body’s prescribed licensing activities, processes or requirements. Should you, however, have any questions about the PLID which you believe the OCG can assist you with, please do not hesitate to contact the OCG.

Please click on the appropriate link below.