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Former Member

Ministers to face opposition grilling -over CJIA, Amaila and Marriot deals

By STABROEK STAFF | 25 COMMENTS | LOCAL | SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 2012

Several ministers will face a grilling at the next week’s sitting of the National Assembly as a series of questions by opposition related to controversial projects, including the US$138M CJIA terminal, and the Amaila Fall road and Marriott Hotel, are listed to be answered.

When the opposition controlled House meets next Thursday, Prime Minister (PM) Sam Hinds is to answer in writing a question from AFC MP Khemraj Ramjattan over the proposed construction of a terminal at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri. Controversy erupted here on November 18, 2011 after Stabroek News reproduced on its website a report from the Jamaica Observer that the Chinese company CHEC was to build a new terminal.

No statement had been made locally on the project up to that point and it was only later that day that theGovernment Information Agency (GINA) released a statement on the matter. The pattern was the same in relation to the recent disclosures about ANSA McAL’s interest in a biofuel farm here.

In relation to the airport project, GINA had said that Cabinet had approved a US$138M design and construction contract with CHEC. Construction is to commence this year and is expected to take a total of 32 months, GINA noted. The government had later said that the financing was made available by China contingent on the selection of a Chinese firm for the project. Ramjattan is to ask the PM to provide copies of the agreement with China Harbour Engineering Company to design and build the terminal.

Ramjattan is also to query Minister of Works Robeson Benn on the contract documents for the controversial Amaila Falls Access Road project and the payments made to date. The government recently spectacularly fired Fip Motilall from the project after months of charges that he was not qualified for the task.

The AFC MP is also to ask Minister of Finance Ashni Singh for a copy of the agreement between the government and the China Shanghai Construction Group for the building of the long-promised Marriott Hotel. Ramjattan is also to ask for a copy of the MOU/agreement for the holding company associated with the project, Atlantic Hotel Inc. He is also to ask if feasibility studies and environmental impact assessments were done and to quiz the minister on the financing structure and whether there is a government guarantee to any of the stakeholders.

Ramjattan is also to ask Benn to provide copies of the report of the independent engineers on the defects of the Supenaam Stelling. Years after the report was commissioned it has not been made available. Ramjattan has also asked Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr. Frank Anthony to provide a complete schedule of the cost, inclusive of design fees, construction costs, land acquisition, etc. for the Olympic-size swimming pool Liliendaal.

On another controversial topic, AFC MP Catherine Hughes is to ask the Prime Minister for a list of all persons/businesses that have been approved for radio licences. Several names of persons close to the government have been approved while others have been rejected without reasons provided.

Hughes has also asked the Prime Minister to provide a list of all existing television stations whose applications to extend their signal were approved. She also asked the PM to provide a list of the names of all persons who were responsible for identifying the applicants to be granted approval to operate radio stations.

APNU MP Amna Ally is to ask the Minster of Education a series of questions on the rehabilitation of juveniles, the pilot project to improve the teaching of Math and English and on the condition of the Uitvlugt and Paramakatoi secondary schools.

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Former Member

Gov’t faces heat Thursday on controversial projects - Ramjattan demands details on Amaila Falls, Marriott, airport expansion

MARCH 10, 2012 | BY KNEWS | FILED UNDER NEWS

A fiery session is expected Thursday in the National Assembly with the government being put to task by the Alliance for Change (AFC) to come clean on controversial multi-million dollar projects.

AFC Parliamentarian Khemraj Ramjattan is going as far as asking the government to release full contracts, such as that for the bungled Amaila Falls road project which is estimated to cost taxpayers $3 billion or more.

Ramjattan has moved to the National Assembly to demand answers from the government, given its penchant for resisting full disclosures, including keeping signed deals secret, such as the project for the expansion of the country’s lone international airport at Timehri. The AFC has made no bones about getting the government to fess up on large scale controversial projects, and by putting the questions down in writing, it would be hoping the information would flow.

Specifically, Ramjattan has asked the questions of Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and Minister of Transport and Hydraulics Robeson Benn. The two government Parliamentarians are duty bound to answer questions once the Speaker has seen it fit to put it down on the Order Paper for the day’s sitting. Ramjattan has asked that Minister Benn provide copies of the contract documents for the road leading to Amaila Falls where the government intends to build a mega hydropower station to supply all of the country’s electricity demands.

The project was originally handed to Florida puja shop owner Fip Motilall for a total of US$15.4 million. The previous Bharrat Jagdeo administration vociferously defended the project even though there were swirling questions about Motilall’s competence to execute the project. However, the current Donald Ramotar government in January decided to pull the plug on Motilall, but not before he had already been handed almost half of the contract sum. Ramjattan wants Minister Benn to provide a breakdown of all payments made to date on the project.

On the airport expansion project, Ramjattan wants Prime Minister Hinds to provide copies of the agreement with China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) to design and build a terminal at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. The previous Jagdeo administration signed the US$138M contract with CHEC, but Guyanese only learnt about it after a report appeared in the Jamaican press in late November last year.

On the proposed Marriott Hotel project, Ramjattan has a string of questions. He is asking for Minister Benn to provide a copy of the agreement between the government and China Shanghai Construction Group for the construction of the hotel.

Ramjattan has also asked for the Minister to provide a copy of agreements entered into with Atlantic Hotel Incorporated, the company that the government set up to enter into the agreement with the Marriott. He also has asked for the Minister to say who the shareholders of Atlantic Hotel Incorporated are and for the Minister to provide documented evidence of this.

In addition, Ramjattan has questions about the management fee and to whom the payment would go for operating the projected US$52M hotel, and what rate of return taxpayers will get per annum. Ramjattan wants to know if any feasibility or any environmental impact studies were done prior to the agreement(s) being signed. If these were done, he has asked the Minister for a copy of each.

Further, in relation to the financing of the Marriott Hotel, Ramjattan has asked for the facts on the financing structure and arrangement of this project, namely, how much equity has been committed and by whom, how much will be borrowed from which bank, and whether any (and how much) State funds have been spent and are committed. Ramjattan has also asked to know if there is any government guarantee to any financial institution or Chinese company.

Other questions Ramjattan has relate to the owners of the land on which the Marriott Hotel is to be built and for the Minister to provide the copy of transport or title or lease.

3/10/121:30 PM