That shady bond deal… Govt bond capable of storing all drugs for Guyana and more
- can even store medical supplies for other countries and generate millions in revenue - int’l report
Aug 21, 2016 , http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....for-guyana-and-more/
The state-owned Diamond warehouse which was established with international funding in March 2013 was expected to reduce the millions of dollars Government was losing over the years by renting other storage facilities.
Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo
This is according to a report that was prepared on by the Supply Chain Management System (SCMS).
The report notes that the construction of the state-of-the-art facility was funded by a collaboration of the Government of Guyana, the United States Government, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM).
The report even points out that the 31,000 square-foot facility not only has the capacity to store all the drugs for the nation but would even have extra storage space which could be leased by the Government.
Drafters of the report said that the revenue earned from the leasing of the storage space can even be used to fill other financing gaps in the public health system when needed.
According to the report, the Diamond warehouse is a fully-operational, climate-controlled, automated pharmaceutical–grade facility.
The construction of the facility was also intended to eliminate the incessant outsourcing for storage space for drugs and other pharmaceuticals.
The report also pointed out that Guyana is currently only utilizing in the facility, 1,365 available pallets (the base on which the drugs and medication are stored for easy movement). However, the storage facility has the potential to store 2,300 more pallet locations. The document proposes that Guyana can make approximately $70M with the leasing of those pallet locations.
Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman
In spite of the aforementioned, a Cabinet sub-committee is insisting that a storage bond in Sussex Street for which it is paying a $12.5M rental fee is necessary. The members of the Committee include Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Minister of State, Joseph Harmon. In fact, another member of the sub-committee, Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman acknowledged that the Diamond facility has the capacity to store all of the nation’s drugs.
The sub-committee, however, offered two excuses to justify why Government is still going forward with the use of the Sussex Street Bond which is owned by Larry Singh, of Linden Holdings Inc. It was noted that it is not safe to have all of the nation’s drugs and medical supplies in one facility, in case of a fire or some natural disaster that can have calamitous consequences to the national health care system.
The sub-committee stated too that the location of the Diamond warehouse can affect distribution of medical supplies, given traffic congestion issues that are associated with the East Bank thoroughfare.
Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton, is facing pressure for renting of the Sussex Street bond and the justification offered.
The deal only came to light after the Opposition raised questions about spending in the National Assembly.