General Secretary of the PPP, Clement Rohee and Party Member, Zulficar Mustapha.

[www.inewsguyana.com] – The ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has reiterated its principled position to make tough action against anyone who is found to be engaged in illicit or fraudulent activities at the Party or Government levels.

The Party was making reference to the administration’s decision to terminate the contract which Surendra Engineering Company Ltd for the construction of the Speciality Hospital; saying it fully supports the move.

PPP believes the action against Surendra was not only the right thing to do, but also sends a strong message that the PPP/C government would not countenance illegality.

Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon, said that Government’s decision was based on the fact that Surendra submitted a forged bond to cover its exposure on the monies government paid Surendra for works on the Speciality Hospital Project.

“The PPP/C Administration has a proud track record of being fair and transparent while operating a rule based method of procurement. It is for these reasons that it has passed legislation like the Procurement Act and has established a website dedicated to public procurement,” a release from the Party noted.

PPP recalled too that the Administration has enacted the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act and has reformed and strengthened the Audit Department to have the capacity to be an independent watchdog over the operations of the Government.

Where the Surendra’s contract on the Speciality Hospital is concerned, the PPP says it welcomes this move for a number of reasons, but most particularly because of the strong signal that it sends to contractors and suppliers of goods and services to Government.    

“The government had defended the award, because it was done in an open fair and transparent manner, but also was very tolerant with the contractor noting the challenges which the project encountered with the delivery deadlines. However, as the evidence was produced that a prerequisite and necessary element of the contract was compromised the government moved to deal condignly with the contractor thus, demonstrating the mettle of the PPP/C government.”