Latest update December 23rd, 2024 3:40 AM
Guyana Learning Channel contract for review – Education Minister
By Abena Rockcliffe
The newly appointed Minister of Education, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine has said that the Ministry of Education,
Minister of Education, Dr. Rupert Roopnarine
under his stewardship, will be reviewing “everything” including contracts that were entered into during the rule of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).
The Minister said that the contractual arrangements for the Guyana Learning Channel will definitely receive special attention.
The Guyana Learning Channel is transmitted by TVG at a monthly cost of $3.6M. TVG is owned by former President Bharrat Jagdeo’s best friend, Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop. The learning channel initiative came into being while PPP/C was in power and while it was lauded as a good one, many criticized the fact that Dr. Ramroop was the sole financial beneficiary.
The then opposition—A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC), the parties now in government—had lauded the Guyana Learning Channel as both educational and beneficial, but had labeled the deal behind it as “sour”.
Yesterday, Dr. Roopnaraine said that the Ministry of Education is now in the middle of an audit. He said that systems and operations are also under review.
According to the Minister, as soon as the audit is completed, the contract for the Guyana Learning Channel will be reviewed.
He said that the Ministry will be looking at it with an aim to cut long term cost. Dr. Roopnaraine added that his administration will prefer to have the Learning Channel function in such a way that it can be deemed a government asset as opposed to a rented facility.
The AFC had criticized the arrangement for the Guyana Learning Channel. AFC leader, Khemraj Ramjattan had likened the contracting of TVG to air the Learning Channel for $3.6M monthly, to the Sanata Complex deal authorized by President Bharrat Jagdeo.
He said that though separate deals, their similarities appear to be a mirror reflection. The primary beneficiary of these two deals is Jagdeo’s best friend, Dr. Ramroop. And, in both instances, the deals were specifically designed to suit Ramroop, said Ramjattan.
Ramjattan said that it was a move by Jagdeo to further enrich his close friend.
According to the AFC leader, contracting TVG for this multi-million-dollar project is a perfect example of how the “favoured ones” got rental contracts under the then PPP/C Government. He said that the PPP/C should have invested in the necessary technologies for the Learning Channel instead of contracting a ‘privately owned’ television station.
Ramjattan offered two options that should have been explored. One was the creation of a television station for the Learning Channel where jobs could have been created for media and education professionals.
Another was that the University of Guyana could have been made responsible for that television station, where much needed funds could have been generated.
“While this would have been a profitable venture for the University it would have been a loss for Government since their friends finance campaigns during National and Regional Elections,” Ramjattan opined.
APNU’s Joseph Harmon had said that Guyana needs to move its legislation forward to prosecute those who use privileged information for the unjust enrichment of their friends.
He had said that the granting of the contract by Jagdeo to his best friend is a clear indication that Ramroop was privy to Government’s plan to establish the Learning Channel and as such made the necessary investments in the relevant technologies to air it via satellite.
Harmon pointed out that this is called insider trading and it is a criminal act in most developed countries.
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