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Launch an investigation into the operations and accountability of the Tuschen/Uitvlugt NDC

Nov 14, 2009 Letters

Dear Editor,
The Kaieteur News continues to probe matters of misuse and waste of resources of the State. For this, I commend you.
I shall try to provide you with a few answers with respect to the Ocean Garden Meten-Meer-Zorg Bridge.
To begin with, four bridges constructed within recent weeks have raised eyebrows both within and outside of the Tuschen/Uitvlugt Neighbourhood Democratic Council. It was my intention to write to the Office of the Auditor General requesting an inquiry into this matter.
However, since you have already made it public, I shall publicly make the same request.
The Tuschen/Uitvlugt NDC has acted in violation of the standard financial accountability rules. Bridges have been constructed as follows: one at Zeeburg, two at Meten-Meer-Zorg –East and one at Ocean Garden Meten-Meer-Zorg. Each of these bridges was constructed at costs above the sum of $100,000.
Mandatorily, the Regional Democratic Council authorises the expenditure of all sums above $100,000.
In the case of the first three bridges, requests for approval to expend sums in relation to construction thereof were sent to the RDC after completion.
This was only after questions were raised by residents with respect to the quality of material used and the poor works. This is not unusual when other violations would have preceded the issue of award of such contracts.
In the case of the Ocean Garden Bridge, requests for approval to construct were presented to the RDC.
There is no record or other evidence to prove that any request for permission to expend was ever made to the RDC.
This could not happen, simply because as in the case of the other three bridges, the tendering process was not complied with.
The cost of construction was not even established since there is no engineer’s estimate, no bill of quantity. No quotations were obtained.
The cost has not been quantified to date, hence Mr. Faerber’s inability to answer Kaieteur News’s request for such information. Shockingly, it was Mr. Faerber’s Administration which provided the decking planks for the construction of the bridge from the RDC.
The works done on the Ocean Garden Bridge can never be certified by an engineer in its present state. Where the bridge and road meets, the road is the narrower of the two. The revetment is made of one-inch thick boards while at least two of the sills on which the main beams of the bridge rests are old wood.
The builders reduced the materials required by reducing the width of the trench using revetment and land filling while the remaining material was transferred to the Zeeburg bridge job.
This has its own implications for drainage since this is a main drain. The land filled area is rapidly running into the trench.
I call on the Auditor General to forthwith launch an investigation into the operations and accountability of the Tuschen/Uitvlugt NDC.
Mervyn Williams, MP

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