RAISING SUSPICION AND DOUBT?

Jul 30, 2009 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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After a royal wait, the Kaieteur News has finally received some information in respect to contracts within the agricultural sector, but the information falls far short of the expectations of this newspaper and does not provide sufficient details to allow this newspaper to perform its duty as a watchdog for the people.
Following its spectacular reporting on the 154 million dollar sluice at De Willem, the Ministry of Agriculture quickly went into damage control mode. It issued a statement calling for public monitoring of the contracts for public works.
Since this newspaper is the eyes and ears of the people, and since it forms part of the Fourth Estate whose duty is to report on matters of public interest and since the manner in which government funds are spent is a matter of public interest, this newspaper decided to take the Ministry up on its suggestion that the public monitor the contracts issued by that ministry.
This newspaper felt that the only way in which the public could effectively monitor the projects and to ensure that the government got value for their money was for this newspaper to provide the public, who are supposed to monitor these projects, with the sort of details needed to do so.
The Ministry of Agriculture had also indicated that it would, as part of its efforts to increase public monitoring of projects, publish a list of all the contracts awarded by that Ministry.
A list was sent to this newspaper, but what we received was a semi-description of the projects, the project duration and the name of the contractor for each project listed. What was missing was the most important element, the cost of each project. We found this strange that we would receive a list without the costs of the contracts. The most important information was left out. We thus requested the respective costs.
In the meantime, agents of the government began to target Kaieteur News. We saw the letters in the media and the statements which were issued accusing this newspaper of seeking to create embarrassment for the agricultural sector.
While it was clear that our reports on the multi-million-dollar kokers and pumping stations had forced the authorities into action, it was also clear that there was great deal of defensiveness, followed by a counterattack on this newspaper. This newspaper is however accustomed to these tactics and paid little heed to the criticisms about this newspaper pursuing its own agenda.
We insisted that we must have the cost of each project. It makes no sense this newspaper reporting that the ministry had awarded some contract yet we could not state the respective values of the contract or the works which were to be undertaken and the locations where the works are to be undertaken. All of these are important if the public is to be kept abreast so that they can effectively monitor these contracts
For example, it was stated that a total of $385 million in works will be done in the areas of Vergenoegen/Bonasika and Den Amstel/Fellowship to repair control structures and access roads. Also a total of $267 million was awarded for control structures and access roads in the areas between Vreed – en – Hoop and La Jalousie, West Coast Demerara, where some 34 D & I structures will be rehabilitated.
Another $358 million will be expended in Canals Number 1 and 2 to rehabilitate 58 D & I structures. However, despite numerous requests via email from this newspaper for a breakdown as to the specific locations where these works will be carried out, the information is still outstanding.
After some waiting, we have received the costs of the projects. This is a forward step but not forward enough because we do not know the specifications of the contracts and thus cannot report to the people what they should be monitoring.
Interestingly, at the same time that the information on the costs of the projects were provided, there was a preamble indicating that this newspaper had set out to create doubt and confusion in the minds of Guyanese over the award of civil works contracts by the Ministry of Agriculture.
If there is anything that is causing confusion and doubt it is this rationing of information about the projects. Instead of casting innuendos at this newspaper, those responsible should be providing more information including the individual locations where civil works are to be carried out, the specifications over the works and the contract costs.
It is the unavailability of this information, not Kaieteur News, which will raise the greatest suspicion and doubt.
A group of farmers subsequently complained that this newspaper is seeking to stifle development. This newspaper is not trying to stifle development.
The issue is not about denying farmers a pumping station. The issue is about the cost of the pumps. What this newspaper is asking is not why the farmers are having a 78 million dollar pump, but whether with this same sum of money more than one pumping station could not have been built. This is not stifling development. This is about value for money.

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