Georgetown: The Alliance For Change (AFC) notes the recent remarks by the Attorney General, Mr. Anil Nandlall, that the Specialty Hospital construction by Surendra Engineering will proceed in the near future, with the latest addendum of an un-named construction consultancy to supervise Surendra Engineering.
According to the party, AFC regards this development as wholly outrageous and dangerous for a number of reasons.
“Firstly, to proceed with construction when the National Assembly had voted against further funding at this time, will be rendering majority decisions in that august body meaningless.”
“This is very provocatory and may result in consequences that will be detrimental to this country as a whole. “
“It must be recalled that it was the Attorney General who brought a court action on this matter; that is the right of parliament to cut the budget. In view of the well researched opinion of Speaker Raphael Trotman that the Assembly has the right to reduce Budgets, and in view that this substantive matter engaging the Courts, the AG should be chastened not to proceed with the Project in the absence of Parliamentary approval.”
“Secondly, the Government seems to be not one bit concerned about the questionable awarding of this Specialty Hospital to a company which never built anything coming close to a hospital. It has not learnt an iota from the Fip Motilall (Amaila Road) fiasco.”
“Thirdly, there is every suggestion that this un-named construction consultancy is only to disguise the real likelihood that there will not be a successful completion of the contract.”
“It has been brought to the attention to the AFC that both the Government of India and the Indian EXIM Bank are very concerned about Surendra being awarded the contract when it has no history of hospital construction, when its price was higher, and when to date it cannot open a letter of credit nor get signed a proper Performance Guarantee.”
The party further noted, “to bypass these concerns, especially the capacity to construct and equip the Specialty Hospital with the advanced state of the art instruments, the Government of Guyana through its Attorney General, has created this un-named construction consultancy to give the impression to the Government of India and the EXIM Bank that all is now well with the Project; and, hence, advances can be disbursed.”
“These devices will not pass muster with the AFC and as such the Party wholly condemns this corrupt deal which must be halted and retendered. This proclivity of the government to go ahead with multimillion dollar projects while it refuses to participate in establishing the Constitutionally required oversight body, the Public Procurement Commission leaves open the door to corruption and mismanagement of the people's money. The AFC again reiterates its call for the immediate establishment of the Public Procurement Commission.”
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