PPP/C MP Juan Edghill

Lack of transparency

BY EDWARD LAYNE

As the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) continues to avoid questions on the manner in which contracts are being awarded, the opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is alleging there is massive corruption in the award of contracts by the new government.

PPP/C Member of Parliament (MP) Juan Edghill, during a news conference at his party’s Robb Street, Georgetown Headquarters questioned the deafening silence of the government on the financing and other issues surrounding the city clean-up and by extension the national clean-up activities, as well as claims of demands being made by government officials.

The party is in receipt of information which shows that “family members” of top officials of the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown are the ones responsible for the citywide clean-up activities, he pointed out.

City Clean-up

Edghill, while commending the efforts to clean the city, said there are a number of critical questions which remain unanswered, thus raising questions about transparency and corruption.

“Do you know who the contractors are? Do you know what the contract sum is? Do you know what is the scope of work that is to be done by every particular contractor and how will the public know if the work is being done in keeping with the contract awarded? None of that is available. What we know is that work is taking place and we don’t know the scope of works, the contract sum, who is the contractor,” Edghill said, adding that: “What we are hearing is that family members of high officials on the Mayor and City Council are the ones who are responsible for executing these contracts. This is an allegation of gross corruption, which we are hearing and we expect that there will be a response as it relates to this.”

Edghill said that while his party is hopeful these allegations are false, he wants the truth to be told by those responsible for the activities.

He also reminded that under the PPP/C Government, an unpriced bill of quantity was always posted at prominent places in communities, so that citizens are aware of exactly what is to be done.

 “It’s an unpriced bill, so you will know the quantities, how  much truck loads of sand, how many tons of earth is to be removed, how wide the drains are to be, the gauge of the zinc for the roof, everything was so spelt out, now we are not hearing that.”

Efforts to contact both Mayor Hamilton Green and Town Clerk Royston King for a comment proved futile.

Specifically identified sub-contractors

Edghill said the PPP/C is in receipt of information which points to massive corruption by government officials regarding the implementation of major contracts.

The former Minister within the Ministry of Finance said accounting officers of many procuring entities are refusing to sign contracts unless the contractors agree to give subcontracts to “specifically identified subcontractors”.

“Major contracts are on the desks of accounting officers of procuring entities for signatures [for] thirty days, sixty days and in excess of sixty days and these contracts are not being signed until and unless the contractor that has been awarded the contracts commits to give subcontracts to specially identified subcontractors and some of these sub-contractors are newly registered companies, with no experience, in total breach of procurement requirements of having at least three years’ experience and the rest of it,” he alleged.

Edghill vows that the PPP/C as the party in opposition has brought these issues to the public, in a bid to ensure that these corrupt practices ceased immediately.

“We are calling on all public officials, accounting officers to ensure they are not obeying any unlawful instructions that put them in difficulty with the financial management regulations that govern the financial architecture of Guyana,” he added.

During a recent news conference, Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo had said his party was in receipt of information which shows that a Minister of President David Granger’s Cabinet formed some 20 new companies which are being handed lucrative Government contracts.

“We have heard about some 20 companies that have been created… one particular minister is busy creating these companies and they are now given contracts… we have one case [where] the person told me… he will get the contract if he promises to appoint as sub-contractors, these people, these newly created companies. This is a major shift and it’s all being done quietly with very little scrutiny,” Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo said, but was hesitant to name the Minister, noting that his Party was still examining the matter; and will make further disclosures in due course.

Cosmetic approach

Meanwhile, Edghill described as “cosmetic approach” the contract management and implementation, reports of some contractors who are able to have their contracts signed for implementation, are receiving up to 80 per cent of their contracted sum as mobilization and advances, which is contrary to every financial regulation on the  management of contracts.

“Let me tell you how dangerous that is: it give the impression at the Ministry of Finance that expenditure is being incurred because the money is paid out an done the IFMAS (Integrated Financial Management and Accounting System) there will be a report that the expenditure is huge, but in reality the contractor receives 80 per cent of the contract sum, he holds it in his bosom, there is no implementation, the year will come to an end and you will see no works on the ground. So what is actually happening is cheques are being cut and are being held as if the expenditure is being made, which is really a cosmetic approach as it relates to contract management and implementation,” Edghill said.

The government was already hauled over the coals by the opposition for “stacking” the various regional, ministerial and other tender boards with party activists, many of whom are said to be unqualified.

“This Government that says it believes in transparency has surreptitiously, insidiously appointed a lot of these tender boards and put a lot of party members on these boards, many of them not qualified, across the country, who will now be adjudicating contracts,” Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has said.

While in opposition, both APNU and AFC had continuously accused the PPP/C Government of appointing “political hacks” in various key positions in state agencies and vowed to “depoliticise” these agencies, should it gain political power. However, after assuming office following the May 11 General and Regional Elections, the administration has been blatantly appointing party candidates and supporters to a number of key positions, particularly state boards.