| – AFC, APNUThe administration’s failure to take timely sanctions for failures on a number of multi-million-dollar contracts and possible fraud at state agencies has seen a number of concerns raised by the Parliamentary Opposition.A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) yesterday criticized the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) for “refusing to take action despite knowing that hundreds of millions of dollars may have been wasted or stolen through fraud or corrupt practices”.There has not been any serious reported case of civil servants being taken before the courts for the recovery of monies nor charges laid for any corruption in recent times.Government has been denying that there is serious corruption in Guyana. While the administration has said it penalized contractors for under-performance and tardiness, it has not been forthcoming in providing information on how many, if any, financial sanctions there may have been.According to APNU,China Jerseys, issues like the investigations at National Communications Network (NCN); the delays and suspension of Synergy Holdings as the contractor of access roads to the Amaila Falls Hydro Project site; the spending of taxpayers’ money on the Marriott Hotel and the EZjet fiasco, are but a few of the instances where legitimate questions are being asked as to how state funds are being spent.President Donald Ramotar“APNU calls for accountability and transparency in all of government and calls on President (Donald) Ramotar to show leadership,” the 10-party coalition, which has 26 seats in the National Assembly, said yesterday.BE ACCOUNTABLE“APNU once again calls on the government of Guyana to be accountable to the people of Guyana. APNU once again registers a lack of confidence in the way this government has handled several major projects in a less than transparent manner.”APNU and AFC have a combined 33 seats, compared to the ruling party’s 32, in the National Assembly.Since losing its majority in the National Assembly following the November 28th, 2011 General and Regional Elections, it has not been smooth sailing for the PPP/C. It suffered a significant setback after the Opposition reduced the National Budget for 2012.In a rocky year,Jerseys NFL Cheap, the Donald Ramotar administration also had to face an opposition which passed a no-confidence motion against Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee, and which then tabled a motion to gag him in the National Assembly.APNU made it clear yesterday that despite abundant evidence,Wholesale China Jerseys, the administration remains unmoved.“APNU notes with great concern that even though in many cases there has been clear evidence of corruption and poor governance, no one has been held accountable. No government or other officials have ever been punished for the millions of taxpayer dollars that have been wasted or misappropriated on the poorly constructed infrastructure; ill-conceived purchases; projects done without proper feasibility and environmental studies; just to name a few.”APNU said that it strongly feels that the taxpayers of Guyana deserve a government that is “honest and accountable, a government they can trust. A government that is judicious with the nation’s treasure and not one that uses companies like NICIL (National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited), as a personal piggy bank for major projects and purchases that have not been sanctioned by the people’s representative (Parliament).”PUNISHMENTAPNU urged government to understand that it has a responsibility to ensure public officials adhere to high ethical standards and that those who fail to measure up must be punished…“rather than give them cover to continue doing wrong.”APNU’s Carl GreenidgeMeanwhile, AFC’s Vice-Chairman and Parliamentarian, Moses Nagamootoo, said it is no surprise that government has taken its continued stance and is not budging.“No one should be seriously disappointed that President Ramotar has given a stiff back to the episodes of corruption at places such as NCN,Cheap Jerseys Wholesale, NDIA and several other public entities.”Nagamootoo, a former senior PPP/C executive, believes that the party could face serious internal backlash if action is taken against officials.“If he (President Ramotar) was to take drastic action it is feared that the PPP regime could implode. The PPP/C is too busy circling the wagon to protect the moribund corrupt breed than to listen to rational voices like Ralph Ramkarran, who warned about pervasive corruption, or respond to bodies such as Transparency International that placed Guyana at the top of the corruption index in the Commonwealth Caribbean.”The AFC official said that instead of fighting the “real monster”, the Government has invented the opposition as a threat to Guyana.“The government has failed to tackle a single act of open corruption, but instead blames the independent newspapers as inventing corruption. Every day, the sleaze gets bigger and the PPP/C will find itself sooner rather than later in the dock to be indicted by public opinion.”On Monday, during a sitting of the National Assembly, the opposition carried a motion to stop government from spending public funds on the Marriott Hotel in Kingston, currently under construction.“The Parliamentary motion on Marriott is going to be an authoritative indictment for which public officials should not only be sanctioned but should be required to be surcharged for reckless spending of the public’s funds,” Nagamootoo, a lawyer by profession, asserted.AN INDICTMENTEarlier this year, following allegations of wrongdoing, NCN’s Board of Directors, which comprises officials from within the Office of the President, initiated a probe that led to the resignation of Chief Executive Officer, Mohammed Sattaur and the suspension of Programme Director, Martin Goolsarran. This was after revelations that both had failed to follow procedures in hiring HJTV to record and produce the GT&T’s Jingle and Song competition for NCN.According to the special audit, Goolsarran reportedly took some of the GT&T payments and deposited them in his personal bank account. A report from the board has been sitting at the Office of the President for several months without any action being taken.AFC’s Moses NagamootooIn the case of the access road to proposed site of the Amaila Falls hydro project, government in early January announced that it had suspended a $3B contract with Makeshwar ‘Fip” Motilall and his company Synergy Holdings.This was after months of delays. Despite warnings that the Synergy had no road building experience,Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys China, government had persisted, accusing the opposition and media houses of being against development.Synergy,Wholesale NHL Jerseys, as initiators of the Amaila Falls Hydro Project, and whose licence was sold to Sithe Global, the current developer, stands to benefit at least US$12M.The hydro project, tagged to cost at least US$840M, will be the country’s most expensive infrastructure ever.Government has now re-issued contracts for the access roads, which will end up costing millions more to build.In the case of Marriott, the decision to sink taxpayers’ money amidst unclear still circumstances, into a hotel, has raised the ire of the opposition who has been arguing that the National Assembly had no oversight over NICIL funds, a burning issue.NICIL is the government company which manages state assets and the proceeds. Government has been insisting that it does not have to ask the National Assembly any permission to spend the money. The opposition has disagreed. Despite the concerns, government has ploughed ahead with the project. |
