There is no transparency on Hope Canal project

Nov 03, 2010 Letters

Dear Editor,
In an article that appeared recently in the newspapers, Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud reported that finally excavation work on the proposed Hope Canal will eventually begin on October 1.
This was good news after months of uncertainty that the Ministry of Agriculture through the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) will execute the works for the 10 km or so long canal.
As fate would have it, the canal is yet to be dug.
In the absence of any competitive bidding, the Ministry has established that for this major public works project, the NDIA has the capability to execute this project cheaper (thus saving taxpayers tons of money) than any of the many experienced Guyanese contractors given the complex soil formation the canal has to pass through.
Apart from the 14 excavators reportedly purchased, other vital pieces of equipment not mentioned have to be made available at the start of this project if it is to be completed within a specified time frame and according to specifications.
These include, but are not limited to bulldozers, heavy rotary compactors, scrappers, dump trucks and pumps. Then there are those added expenses for mats, fuel, operators, mechanics and supervisors.
Therefore, the final unit cost for excavation of this canal by force account and in the absence of any transparency/competitive bidding could very well be, ‘any cost goes’ to the financial burden of us all.
It is expected that the NDIA will make public during the course of construction of this canal two important parameters— firstly a CPM Chart showing the critical elements of the project and the deadlines for completion.
In this way progress could be closely monitored and slippages detected and action taken to get the project back on stream.
Secondly, there should be a cost breakdown for the various project elements for the purpose of partial payments so that potential cost overruns/over payment to NDIA could be quickly detected and dealt with before they become tsunamis.
Finally, according to Minister Persaud excavation of this canal by NDIA is a cost cutting measure. Without facts and figures to support this claim Guyanese will have to await the cost overrun (which appears inevitable because of poor project preparation) announcement when the project is completed and/or during construction provided, of course, that MoA makes public its budgeted excavation costs for this canal.
Charles Sohan

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There is no transparency on Hope Canal project

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There is no transparency on Hope Canal project

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