APNU seeks discussions with President to “forestall financial catastrophe”

-    Removal of misfits from managerial positions and NICIL’s finances on list to be discussed

By Abena Rockcliffe

Even as it prepares to vote yes to a No-Confidence Motion that has the potential of  forcing President Donald

Joseph Harmon, APNU Parliamentarian

Ramotar and his Administration out of Office, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) is calling on the Head of State to hold “serious” discussions to forestall a “financial catastrophe.” The opposition coalition’s leader, David Granger made this call yesterday as he hosted his weekly press conference held at his Hadfield Street headquarters. Granger recommended that Ramotar hold these “serious” discussions with the opposition and other stakeholders and said that this should be done soon. The Opposition leader supposed that the multi-stakeholder review would re-examine the current flawed infrastructural expansion strategy, re-order national developmental priorities, remove misfits from managerial positions, correct errors, place the National Industrial and Commercial Investments  Limited( NICIL)’s finances totally and firmly under parliamentary control and stop the massive waste of public funds. He sought to justify such a call as he pointed out that “Donald Ramotar’s presidency is failing.” He said that all the “flagship projects are floundering, the strategy for infrastructure development he inherited was monumentally misconceived and have degenerated into a series of serious and costly blunders.” Granger highlighted that the government has been forced to terminate the contracts for two major projects that were described as transformational. He added that other projects are facing failure or default and more terminations are to be expected as public and parliamentary scrutiny intensifies. Granger labeled the Amaila Falls, Marriot Hotel, Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) ,Fibre Optic Cable, One Laptop Per Family and the Specialty Hospital projects as controversial, fraudulent and ill conceived. He noted that the Amaila Falls Hydroelectricity project was one that the government had to abort and in January 2012, President Ramotar terminated the contract with Synergy Holdings. Granger noted that the proposed US$840M project would have been Guyana’s most expensive. The political leader said that the Marriott project is mired in controversy and the private investor is still to  materialize while the government has  put tax payers money  into the project; essentially wasting funds . Granger added that the CJIA expansion project is in a mess as a result of poor planning on the part of the government. Touching on the fibre optic cable initiative, Granger said, “This project managed by the President’s son, Alexei Ramotar, has already missed numerous deadlines for its completion. The government underestimated the massive 560-kilometre project and its completion is in doubt. It was originally expected to cost about US$32M.” APNU Member of Parliament, Joseph Harmon who was also at yesterday’s press conference said that the “Jagdeo/Ramotar administration” has absolutely no regard for the country. Making reference to the fact that the government recently announced that it terminated the Surendra Engineering’s contract for the Specialty Hospital on grounds of fraud and non-performance, Harmon referred to the Specialty Hospital Project as another mess. The Parliamentarian dismissed the government’s story which is, that it found out that the performance bond submitted by Surendra Engineering was a fake. Harmon’s contention is that there was no performance bond from the inception. He told the media that he is challenging the Attorney General (AG), Anil Nandlall to show the nation the fake performance bond. The Member of Parliament said that government also lied when it said that the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago confirmed that the document was fraudulent. He asked for the AG to show that letter too as he contended that the correspondence in question was issued by the bank some time ago and was completely different. Harmon said that the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago’ s letter stated that there was a company registered in Trinidad and Tobago that is authorized to issue a performance bond. Harmon told the media that he is of the most sincere opinion that it is time Nandlall pick up his traps and go home or go back to private practice as he is not doing his job. The politician said that it is time Guyanese stand up against the Peoples Progressive Party dictatorship, because too much money is being squandered and “at the end of the day the PPP’s friends and cohorts are laughing.”