Finance Minister preempts Parliamentary sitting

Jan 14, 2014 News

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…defends E-Governance Director, flays AFC/APNU  

A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU), Joseph Harmon, has submitted to the National Assembly a list of questions for Prime Minister, Samuel Hinds, in relation to the qualifications and remuneration of the head of the E-Governance Project, Alexei Ramotar. And Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh has come out in Ramotar’s defence.

The Finance Minister said that Ramotar is currently one of Guyana’s most qualified in his field, with a Masters in Computer Science from the University of Waterloo, over a decade of work experience where he led numerous projects in his field and several academic awards and publications.
He lashed out at the Joint Political Opposition saying that there is a concerted effort to rid Guyana of its human and financial resources.
“This has become even clearer with recent events that are unfolding before the public.”
Dr. Singh in his condemnation of the attempted scrutiny of Ramotar said that in less than six months two major international investors, Muri Brasil Ventures and Blackstone Group which pulled out of the Amaila Project, were forced to walk away from doing business in Guyana as a direct result of Opposition hostility.
He said, “As if chasing away investors is not enough to satisfy their lust for power afforded by their one seat majority, they now move to attack and ultimately chase our human resources: our young qualified professionals working in Government.”
He said that just months ago the Alliance for Change (AFC) waged a campaign to discredit the head of the Guyana Energy Agency, Mahender Sharma, son of C.N. Sharma.
“Now APNU’s Joe Harmon is copying from his AFC’s friend playbook, by doing the same thing to Alexei Ramotar and the project he leads.”
Dr. Singh said that it is not by coincidence that Harmon and his party chose to publicly question the merit of Ramotar. He added said that “this was strategically done because Alexei Ramotar is the son of President Donald Ramotar.”
According to the Finance Minister, Alexei Ramotar was hired in 2010, prior to his father’s run for Presidential Office and was deemed the most qualified for the job at that time.

He said that the APNU has called on Government to provide jobs for young people and to utilize Guyana’s local human resources. “But when young professionals return to work for Government in a field of expertise that is sought after internationally and are not paid at a competitive rate they otherwise would receive in developed countries, they are attacked and demoralized by the Opposition.”
Dr. Singh claims that at a time where there is a high global demand for skilled personnel, politicians and policy makers alike, should support and encourage young professionals to remain and contribute to Guyana’s development and not attack them and render them collateral damage of personal political vendetta .
“How can Guyana attract qualified skilled personnel to stay when they are vilified, much the same like international investors, by the Opposition,” questioned the Finance Minister.
Dr. Singh in his attack of the political opposition said that they have made every effort to stagnate the development of Guyana for their personal political gains via their one seat Parliamentary majority.
“In addition to chasing and vilifying investors and qualified young professionals, the Joint Parliamentary Opposition has gone as far as to ensure Guyana is now internationally blacklisted by international financial institutions by their non- support for the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act.”
According to Dr. Singh those “resentful and vindictive acts” on the part of the opposition are clear indicators that they have no intention to foster financial, professional or investor credibility for Guyana, and similarly have no intention of doing what is best for the good of this nation.
Harmon premises his scrutiny of Ramotar with the fact that the government’s E Governance Project is suffering from

extensive delays coupled with the fact that there is to be modification to the design of the project.
He has since formally requested of the Prime Minister to provide the résumé of the Project Director, Ramotar, as it relates to his prior experience with Fibre Optic Cable installations, designing and managing a project of this complex nature.
The party is also looking to find out what salary and allowances Ramotar, the person running the project, is paid on a monthly basis.
It was Government’s Chief Spokesperson, Dr Roger Luncheon, who recently confirmed that the laying of the fibre optic cable had to be modified, and that it was years behind schedule.
He had explained that this was done to maintain the integrity of the cables.

 

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