– TIGI says Cabinet, Public Health Ministry lapses ‘unacceptable’
It was only last year that Trinidad company Western Scientific Company Limited was blacklisted by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for what the bank referred to as fraudulent practices.
That blacklist was to last from March 2016 to October 2020, but somehow, on August 18, the coalition Government announced its no objection to a $30 million contract for this very company to supply Sysmex reagents for the Ministry of Public Health.
In an interview with this publication, President of Transparency Institute of Guyana Inc. (TIGI), Dr. Troy Thomas, pointed out that the company being blacklisted by the IDB was reported on by local media. Thomas stated that the public expects better when the high level at which cabinet operates is considered.
He stressed that the violations the company had been sanctioned for are the exact thing the Government should be opposing. According to Thomas, officials in the health sector ought to know the contractors in the field, if they indeed intend to look out for Guyana’s interest.
“They’re looking after the country, and if they don’t take that seriously then they are not fit for the job. So I don’t accept the excuse that they did not know. It should be known especially by people in the field,” he declared.
“It could be that they knew and decided to ignore (the blacklist). And it might be that they felt that they were blacklisted by the IDB but not by Guyana, and maybe they see that as different.”
Regardless of these possibilities, however, the anti-corruption advocate stressed that the situation raises questions of how seriously the Government is taking the business of running such a critical sector as public health.
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Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan and the Vice President of Bridgemans Services PLC Andrew Purdey have both confirmed that they have been invited to appear before Parliament’s Joint Select Committee on Land and Physical Infrastructure which is looking into the procurement of the Cabo Star and the Ocean Flower 2.
Sinanan told the T&T Guardian yesterday that he had been invited to appear before the Committee, and will appear as requested.
The T&T Guardian understands that there were extensive discussions on the situation with the ferries at last weekend’s general council meeting of the PNM when the party’s political leader Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley again spoke to concerns about the procurement of the MV Superfast Galicia.
Asked about the discussion Sinanan said, “I will not speak about what transpired at the General Council.”
Purdey who is currently out of the country told the T&T Guardian he is “looking forward” to appearing before the Committee and will be back to make himself available.
He has already met with independent investigator businessman Christian Mouttet who was appointed by the Prime Minister to look into the procurement of the vessels. Asked whether he had held further discussions with the Port Authority on the Ocean Flower 2 which is now docked in Curacao, he said, “there have been no discussions with the Port.”
Purdey said there had been a “five per cent accuracy rate in the reporting of the local media on the acquisition of the vessels.”
Last Friday the Port issued a statement which it subsequently recalled stating that Bridgemans “initial submission to the authority was made via the Ministry of Works and Transport.” A direct submission was subsequently made to the Port dated April 28.
The Port said it received four submissions from Bridgemans Services Group and two from Ken Shipping and Marine “outside of the official tender process.”
Maritime attorney Nyree Alfonso confirmed last week to the T&T Guardian that she had also been asked to appear before the Committee. She has also been asked to make written submissions by Wednesday of this week.
Former Works and Transport Minister Stephen Cadiz under whose watch the Superfast Galicia was procured told the T&T Guardian he had also been asked to make a submission in writing and to appear before the Commission.
The Committee has also requested that former chairman of the Board of the Port Authority Christine Sahadeo and other Commissioners appear.
Former board member Ferdie Ferreira confirmed that he had received a request to appear and will be doing so. But efforts to contact Sahadeo proved futile,
Part of the remit of the committee is to look at the maintenance contract and Ferreira said he will speak to his own concerns about the contract which this country had with Bay Ferries at a cost of $7 million a month.
President of the Seamen and Waterfront Workers Trade Union Michael Annisette, and former Works and Transport Minister Fitzgerald Hinds have also been requested to appear.
The Committee chaired by the Member of Parliament for Mayaro Rushton Paray will meet in the Parliament Chamber on September 4 and September 5. The hearings move to Tobago on September 6, when the Committee is expected to meet with the Division of Tourism of the Tobago House of Assembly, the T&T Inter Island Transportation Company, the Tobago Truckers Association, the Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association and the Tobago Division of the T&T Chamber.
JSCs have no power of subpoena and can only request people to attend sessions. There are no legal consequences for failure to attend if requested.
TRANSPARENCY BODY CONCERNED ABOUT FERRY DEAL
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–among them multi-million dollar road projects
GUYANESE can expect major infrastructural projects to be rolled out in the areas of infrastructure, security, health and agriculture with the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) approving over $1.436B in contracts.
On Monday, Cabinet said it has taken note of the 28 multi-million dollar contracts that were awarded by NPTAB and other procurement entities.
In Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), miscellaneous roads will be rehabilitated and constructed to the benefit of residents on the Essequibo Coast.
These projects will be executed in three lots. Curry Road, Perseverance, Essequibo Coast will be rehabilitated by Mohamed Ramzanalli Khan to the tune of $20.403M, while the contract to construct Sand Pit Road at Onderneeming, on the Essequibo Coast was awarded to Chung’s Global Enterprise to the tune of $40.128M.
The final lot, the Lima Sands Access Road, will be constructed at a cost of $39.8M by Mohammad Fawaaz Bacchus Construction.
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The administration has reportedly entered a deal with an insurance company for health coverage but there is no evidence that proper procurement procedures were followed. The hefty insurance package, the first of its kind to reduce pressure on taxpayers, is reportedly costing Guyana almost $40M, but did not publicly go out to tender.
The issue is now being raised by former Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy. He was also a former Health Minister also under previous administrations of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic.
According to Ramsammy yesterday, sometime earlier this year, the coalition A Partnership For National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) government signed an agreement with a regional insurance company which has opened offices here.
The deal was struck after an announcement by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, in June that Government is moving to secure insurance for ministers and senior officials.
A number of government officials, including ministers had sought treatment abroad, but it is by no means cheap.
Ramsammy, naming the company, which is headquartered in a neighbouring country, claimed that the agreement is worth just over $38M annually and will earn about $155M by 2020, for the company.
“It is the first time ever that Ministers will have health coverage which I assume will be sought outside the country. It is a transaction that the government has entered into secretly,” Ramsammy said in a statement.
“There was no advertisement, no indication that they were interested in obtaining health insurance for ministers and their families. I am not aware that any discussion occurred with any of the insurance companies based in Guyana.”
The former Health Minister made it clear that he is not opposed to the Government covering costs of medical care for its ministers by obtaining health insurance coverage.
“But it is important that such transactions be in the public domain. Earlier this year, Minister (Joseph) Harmon insisted that government pays no bills for ministers’ foreign health care. This was not the truth. It was a deliberate misinformation.”
Ramsammy claims that he has information that ministers have traveled to Ireland, Cuba, Canada, USA and the Caribbean and these trips were paid for by the Ministry of Public Health.
“The Auditor General must take note of this. I am confident that on examination the Auditor General will discover that these costs were met by the Ministry of Public Health and or by the Ministry of Finance.”
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PRIME Minister Dr Keith Rowley is convinced something crooked took place in the procurement of the Ocean Flower II. He made the point at a news conference at the Magdalena Grand Hotel in Tobago yesterday after close to two hours of talks with stakeholders on the problems facing the domestic seabridge. Rowley was confident that investigations by Cabinet appointed investigator Christian Mouttet, the Integrity Commission and the Parliament’s Land and Physical Infrastructure Joint Select Committee (JSC) would discover the truth about the circumstances under which the Ocean Flower II was procured.
He said the Port Authority is now “working overtime” to acquire the services of another passenger ferry before the TT Express goes on dry dock. Expressing confidence that more vessels would be available during the upcoming winter period, Rowley said the Authority will broaden its search to all parts of the spectrum to find an appropriate passenger vessel for the seabridge.
He reminded reporters that Cabinet has already agreed to put out a tender for a new cargo vessel built to Government’s specifications.
Rowley said this arrangement could result in a two to three year contract being signed for that vessel’s usage. He said once the Spirit and the Express have undergone their long overdue maintenance, they should be able to service the seabridge for at least another two years.
Rowley disclosed stakeholders agreed to a proposal to appoint two more Tobagonians to the Port Authority’s board of directors to ensure there is no repeat of the problems now facing the seabridge. He also announced that a committee comprising representatives from Government, the Tobago House of Assembly and the private sector will be established to deal with operational issues on the seabridge.
He rejected claims by some that yesterday’s meeting was “a waste of time.” Rowley said contrary to those claims, the discussions were fruitful.
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