We just seem to be buying pigs in bags while rats nibble at the public cheese

Jul 01, 2012 Letters

Dear Editor,
Regarding your news article, “CJIA contract remains in force, not under review,” (KN, June 30), with the strapline, “…deal took 10 months to work out – CHEC officials,” I found it rather conflicting with a previous KN news item, “Chinese Vice Premier waving billions of dollars sparked CJIA expansion – says Robeson Benn,” KN, April 26, 2012).
Your June 30thstory said, “Tang told media operatives that it was CHEC that approached the Guyana Government with a proposal to upgrade the airport after he would have visited the country. This negated any instance of a public tendering process given that it is Chinese money being made available to Guyana on the basis of using Chinese Construction Companies. He said that not one single meeting in relation to the project was ever held in Jamaica. All were held at the Ministry of Public Works in Kingston, Georgetown.”
Your April 26 news story reported Transport and Hydraulics Minister, Mr. Robeson Benn as saying at a plaque unveiling ceremony at CJIA, Timehri, “We had to enter into an agreement because we had a very narrow window in September (2011) where a Chinese Vice Premier came to the Caribbean with several billion dollars to fund projects and it was the only opportunity we had then to fund this undertaking. It was the only undertaking then and we had a particular line of documentation and information ready. We were able to take advantage and make use of that funding which would have gone elsewhere if we had not done what we had to do.”
So Zhongdong Tang, the CHEC’s Regional Director for the Americas said the deal was in the works for over ten months, but Mr. Benn identified September as the starting point when a Vice Premier came to the Caribbean with billions to fund projects.
Mr. Editor, even though CHEC has chosen to go public trying to clear the air, it is the secrecy surrounding the signing, and the fact that the Guyana Government was upset when CHEC first revealed the information to the Jamaica Gleaner, that raised red flags over the deal.
Check out these four points extracted from your news item that buttress our concerns about the level of secrecy surrounding a project Guyana has to pay for:
1) The officials sought to say that the project was never negotiated in secret and it was just a case where CHEC released the information on the contract signing before the Guyana Government.
2) Citing confidentiality arrangements, the CHEC officials refused to identify any of the Guyanese who would have been a part of the negotiations. Only the venue for the meeting was confirmed by the CHEC Officials.
3) While the officials could not give a definitive position on the status of the loan from the China Exim Bank, they did indicate that details would not be forthcoming from the Company on that issue. (We are still waiting seven months later).
4) It was made clear by the officials that CHEC is a commercial entity doing business and that it is for the Guyana Government to provide the necessary clarifications being sought.
Besides, the Guyanese media or public have not seen documents how the two sides arrived at their figures for the US$138M Chinese loan and the Guyana Government coming up with US$20M of its own (from what account?). In fact, Mr. Tang’s only explanation to the question of how they arrived at the final estimates was that during the 10 months of negotiation Guyana did manage to have an input. That’s it! No breakdown of the figures!
Guyanese also have not seen any artist’s rendition of the expansion works. All we are being told is how important this project is, but we have no details. It is almost the same thing with a number of other questionable projects undertaken by the Jagdeo regime that has put taxpayers on the hook for repaying the loans. Think of the US$200M loan for the Skeldon fiasco that Guyanese must be repaid after the Chinese botched it, folks!
It is also a pity that CHEC never provided before and after pictures of projects it did in other countries as part of its public relations/marketing portfolio. We just seem to be buying pigs in bags when it comes to the PPP regime, even as the rats scampering around squeaking as they nibble at the public cheese.
Emile Mervin

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