Report: Non-Competitive Contracts on Rise

[PfcHammer]

http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=businessNews&storyID=5278392§ion=news

Report: Non-Competitive Contracts on Rise

Report: Non-Competitive Contracts on Rise
Thu May 27, 2004 03:20 PM ET

...

The report, requested by California Rep. Henry Waxman, said of the $107 billion awarded in noncompetitive contracts, $88 billion was under a process that involved one bidder.

"The administration's approach to government procurement is deeply flawed. We need more competition, not less," said Waxman, a staunch critic of Iraqi contracts and of business given to Vice President Dick Cheney's old firm Halliburton (HAL.N: Quote, Profile, Research) .

Waxman said the government's reliance on sole-source and other noncompetitive deals was a recipe for waste, fraud and abuse, especially during an era when more and more jobs that used to be done by government workers were contracted out.

The report said the number of noncompetitive deals issued by the government increased by $40 billion to $107 billion compared to the last year of the Clinton administration when $67 billion in contracts were awarded without competition.

...

[checks-n-balances]

1. Why are we not surprised? (eom)