Audit on Frequency Management Unit reveals …Previous Govt. gave PPP boys $$$$ waivers
…entity foregoes millions in fees
The forensic audit into the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) has unearthed some of the “most appalling acts of corruption”, said Junior Finance Minister, Jaipaul Sharma, yesterday.
Junior Finance Minister, Jaipaul Sharma
The Head of the Unit is Valmiki Singh. According to the agency website, the mission of the NFMU which was established in December 1990 is “To efficiently and effectively manage the electromagnetic frequency spectrum and to administer the number resources of Guyana; being proactive, customer oriented, transparent and keeping abreast with global technological developments in the telecommunications sector, thereby fostering an environment conducive for investment and where the deployment and use of ICTs can be optimized for the social and economic development of Guyana.”
Sharma said that the “disturbing” findings of the report prove that the mission statement is nothing but a “nicely-worded declaration to fool the people of this nation when all along is a set of wickedness taking place.”
Minister Sharma continued, “There was just no proper management at this unit. There were instances where you could see that they just lost out on millions of dollars worth in fees that they should have ensured they collected. There were some defaulters as well, and the agency just took no action against them.”
“(NFMU) could have collected a lot more revenue. Instead (the entity) allowed a lot of favouritism to take place and as such they lost, I would say, millions of dollars in revenue.
“They allowed their big PPP boys to slip under the radar while others were called upon to pay their dues. In fact, they weren’t collecting from two of their PPP big boys for some time. It was a lot of unfairness that was going on at that agency.”
Sharma said, “The level of corruption which was taking place at the agency points to the incompetency of those who are managing it.”
The Junior Finance Minster told this newspaper that the revelations of some of the forensic audits thus far vindicate the concerns the APNU+AFC had regarding the lack of accountability under the previous administration as well as the stench of corruption in some agencies.