Education Ministry text book scam…Baksh: I was not involved in contract awards, payments

Feb 28, 2012 News

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Former Education Minister, Shaik Baksh, has distanced himself from what is turning out to be a major scam

involving the ordering of text books.
Yesterday, in a statement threatening Kaieteur News with possible legal action, Baksh who was not returned as a Minister or a Parliamentarian under the Donald Ramotar administration, also said that he was not involved in matters pertaining to finances and accounting while he was at the Ministry.
However, he failed to address several critical issues in the article. Rather, he made it clear that the Budget Agency and other senior officials of the Ministry are responsible for tender processes and payments.
“…all matters pertaining to finance and accounting functions, including the implementation of tender processes, contract administration and contract payments are the responsibility of the Head of the Budget Agency and other senior officials of the Ministry.”
The former Minister also did not address several critical accusations raised in the Auditor General’s report, including why cheques for hundreds of millions of dollars were written months before the contracts were approved, or why text books were being ordered from one supplier as is evident from contracts approved by the Cabinet.
The headline story in last Sunday’s edition (February 26) “Dealer blows lid on Education Ministry book scam…” did not accuse Baksh of being involved. Rather, the article merely pointed out that he was in charge, as Minister, in 2010.
The article stemmed from the 2010 Report of the Auditor General on the accounts of Guyana, which includes the Ministry of Education.
According to Baksh, the headline is a total fabrication and wicked in its intent.
Book dealer, Bholan Boodhoo, the local agent for Longman text books, in the Kaieteur News report over the weekend, accused the Ministry of having no clear text policy and as a result, outdated text books and photocopied ones were being ordered and even short delivered, in a deliberate scam…all paid for with government funds.

 

DEAFENING SILENCE
The former Minister did not address this, but insisted there is a policy. He also did not raise the issue of the government’s policy on the ordering of text books that are photocopied or infringed, an aspect that Boodhoo say is worrying overseas suppliers.
“There is a clearly well defined text book policy and guidelines for the selection of text books.  There is also a text book selection committee which is comprised of senior professional officers of the Ministry and is supported by specialists and educators in the selection of text books,” Baksh said in the statement sent via an email address that he was using while he was Minister.
He highlighted CSEC text books as an example.
“All the textbooks procured for the thirty-one subjects taken by students at the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC), with some exceptions, are based on the published recommended texts by the Caribbean Examinations Council.”
No fraud?
He also said that the Auditor General’s Report has not revealed that a fraud or misappropriation of funds had taken place in this contract.
Regarding the $110M which was written months before the contracts for texts awarded, Baksh argued that since the Ministry sought and obtained approval from the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) to procure the text books from a local supplier at a cost of $110.291M, there was no breach of the tender and award process. He did not explain how the cheques could have been written up months before approval was granted.
The former Minister said it cannot be denied that the PPP/C government has placed much importance in strengthening the Auditor General’s Office and ensuring yearly reports are submitted to Parliament.
“This has contributed to identification of systems weaknesses, breaches of procedures, legislation and irregularities.”
The statement from Baksh also said that in due course, the Auditor General’s Report 2010 will be subject to scrutiny by the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament.
“The Head of the Budget Agency and senior officials will be called upon to explain and account for any breaches of procedures, regulations, law etc.”
Sidelined
Boodhoo, the book dealer, in the article said legitimate businesses are sidelined by the Ministry which used unfair practices to ensure only certain suppliers received contracts.
He called on President Ramotar to get involved.
According to the businessman, the procurement system is deliberately being manipulated in the process.
The Auditor General’s report covering government accounts of 2010, excerpts of which were published in this newspaper a week ago, found instances in which hundreds of millions of dollars were written up in cheques, months before the contracts were awarded.
It not only signaled that there were serious irregularities but also that there was the shocking possibility that the procurement process in Guyana, through the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board, may have been compromised.
The report also suggested that books were also being partially delivered.
Kaieteur News was told that people high up in the Ministry of Education and specific dealers awarded the contracts, deliberately delivered short and would split the proceeds.
Text books dealing in Guyana is a billion-dollar business.
According to Boodhoo, the ordering of photocopied text books is a “clear violation of several regional and international laws. It saves money, but how could a ministry and government by extension, sanction an illegality? We have legitimate book dealers in Guyana who are answerable to their companies. We have books that we are scared to even put on shelves because they are being bought and then photocopied or infringed and then resold”.
Many of the contracts awarded are through sole sourcing procurement procedures, meaning that the Ministry has already decided which company will get the contract.
“This is clearly a breach of what sole tendering is all about. For one company to be eligible as a sole tender, the ministry will have to show that it can’t buy from anywhere else and the orders must be with all the relevant specifications included. This may be true if you are ordering a Wartsila engine or Caterpillar set…then you will have to go to the company that makes them.” However, in many cases, the contracts are just being awarded as sole sourcing without evidence being presented that the books are not available elsewhere. And how is it being done?
“On the approval granted by the Cabinet, the list will more than likely have general descriptions of texts, but no names of the books wanted. This is another way in which legitimate dealers are being shafted, because they don’t have a clear idea of what is needed. In many cases, the Ministry of Education just does not advertise for the books.”

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