ANARCHY AT CITY HALL
During the reign of the PPP, there were several questionable contracts that were secretly awarded to some dubious contractors. Most of those contractors were not qualified or did not have much experience or expertise to do what the contracts had required.
However, they were awarded the contracts despite the mountain of concerns raised by the opposition and by a multitude of persons and civic organizations. Most of the contracts were awarded secretly by the last government, which by-passed the tendering and bidding process. And if due diligence was done and the contracts were still awarded, then it is safe to say that skullduggery had taken place.
The contract awarded to Fip Motilall to build the Amaila Falls Road, the building of the Specialty Hospital and the Enmore Packaging Plant by Surendra Engineering were suspicious because they did not have the necessary experience needed to do the work. Surendra Engineering, which was contracted to sell and install fourteen irrigation pumps, did not have experience in the procurement. The contract was not awarded to the Indian pump manufacture, Kirloskar.
The biggest disaster in the country was the awarding of the contract to China National Technology Import and Export Corporation to build the Skeldon Sugar Factory at a cost of over US$200 million.
Today, the factory still has a series of problems and in the eyes of many, it is a white elephant. Further, the secret deals surrounding the building of the Marriott Hotel and the Berbice Bridge are without conscience and consideration of the interests of the people. In both cases, the taxpayers have invested about 75 percent of the cost, but have not yet received a dime in return for their investments while the private investors who invested about twenty five percent are receiving payments ahead of the taxpayers.
The Memorandum of Understanding signed by Fedders Lloyd to undertake the construction of the Specialty Hospital has collapsed, due to the World Bank’s decision to ban Fedders Lloyd from any of its contracts for five years—April 6, 2016 to April 5, 2020. Citing that it would be more economical and less time-consuming than to go through the transparent process of retendering, the Government decided to give Fedders Lloyd the contract despite a public outcry over the lack of transparency and accountability.
Weeding out corruption and the promise by the government to be accountable and transparent to the public are easier said than done. Most of the government’s policies are shrouded in secrecy including the “BK” Tiwarie and Baishanlin scandals and a trip to China by the Minister of State and other government officials. The refusal to explain the circumstances to the public through the media clearly shows a lack of transparency and accountability by the government.
The outrage at City Hall over the awarding of the parking meter installation contract by the Mayor and the Town Clerk is another major scandal unfolding at City Hall and the government must act swiftly to end it before it is too late. Scandals of this magnitude could damage the image of the government whose administration is running City Hall.
Although the City has stated that it is in a financial crisis and is looking for sources to improve its revenue, it has financed the room and board at a luxurious hotel and first-class tickets for the Town Clerk, Mayor and two Councilors to travel to Mexico to look at parking meters.
The trip which cost the city a huge amount is only part of the problem. The awarding of the contract to a company that has barely known to exist and has no experience in the installation of parking metersand without informing the public and the city counselors is very troubling.
Also the recent announcement by the Deputy Mayor that the purchase of a tow-truck was not authorized could spell more trouble for the Mayor and Town Clerk. It shows that anarchy exists at City Hall and like the government, it has not done due diligence. It is not the reforms the people voted for.
