US$12.8M drug contract to NEW GPC…This is nothing but ‘kick-down-the-door banditry’
– “Shows how “evil, corrupt, greedy and ruthless” PPP/C can be,”
Ramjattan, Greenidge A Partnership for National Unity plus Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), has lashed out, once again, at
New GPC owner, Bobby Ramroop
the government for granting billions of dollars in sole sourced drug contracts to New GPC. For the coalition, the alarming development was that on May 8, last, New GPC uplifted but the entire billion-dollar cheque for a recent drug contract awarded to that company. That was the last working day before General and Regional elections. The payment arrangement was also contrary to all the country’s procurement procedures. Traditionally, 25 per cent of the contract is paid up front. AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, said that the situation surrounding the health contracts and New GPC owned by Bobby Ramroop, the best friend of former President Bharrat Jagdeo, is nothing but “kick-down-the doorý banditry.” He said that fortunately, this will be coming to an end very soon. “People are fed up with them and want to reclaim what they would have misappropriated,” Ramjattan added. Additionally, the Shadow Finance Minister of the APNU, Carl Greenidge, said that he finds the actions of Government in the lead up to the May 11polls, to be evidence of how “evil, corrupt , greedy and ruthless” the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) can be. He stressed that what is even more ridiculous, is that days before May 11, the current administration
APNU Financial point man, Carl Greenidge
sought to chastise the media; particularly Kaieteur News and Stabroek News when the entities exposed its “nasty and most corrupt acts.” This newspaper had reported that Government, last month, blessed contracts for the procurement of drugs worth some US$12.8 million ($2,677,864,510) to New GPC, owned by Dr Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, Bharrat Jagdeo’s best friend. Three Cabinet Minutes had been leaked and reproduced in the electronic media. The document showed that Cabinet approved its most expensive contract for $6,730,526 dated April 23, 2015. It was signed by Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon. Kaieteur News understands that Government scrambled it seems, in desperate attempts to cash the cheque for this contract in full. But according to the procurement protocols this should not occur. According to the procedures of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board, cheques cut for contracts are not cashed in full. Only a certain amount to get the start up of the project is granted. Greenidge said that he found the rush by Government to pay the full amount of the cheque to Dr Ramroop highly despicable and disrespectful to the Guyanese people. The former Finance Minister said, “It comes as no surprise that this government would brazenly stoop so low just a few days before elections.
AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan
It has given so much to Dr Ramroop by breaking the laws that it has made him a king in his country. There are plans in store for him. However, there is another critical point we need to pay attention to, and that is the fact, that Ramroop was given the opportunity to supply almost 85 percent of the country’s drugs for nearly 20 years. Considering the empire he has been able to build through the sole sourcing of drugs, we see clearly, too, for how long value for money in the health sector has been evaded.” It is estimated that over the past seven years more than US$200 million was spent on drug purchases, with the lion’s share going to New GPC. Greenidge added that the control Jagdeo gave his best friend over the health sector is not only unhealthy for the competitive market, but it also mars attempts at transparency and accountability. The politician reiterated that through the sole sourcing of drugs, “Jagdeo and his government did not only ruthlessly rob the nation, but invited his best friend to help to further corrupt the system and to rob the poor people at the same time.” He said that the actions of the government during “its dying days” not only signify “its bottomless appetite for the country’s wealth” and how evil it is but more importantly, “how impossible it is for the beast to change.” Ramjattan added that a new government must never be fettered by these most fraudulent contracts which have been signed on to in overt violations of the country’s procurement regulations. The AFC Leader said that any new executive must terminate this type of contract arrangement and bring it to extinction. Ramjattan said that the public interest needs to be protected and a new government under the principle of executive necessity has every obligation to revisit and revoke these giveaways with haste. “That sum of money must be restored to the people for the public good,” he concluded.