Latest update January 30th, 2025 6:10 AM
Latest News
Alexei Ramotar sent on leave – Harmon
E-Governance Head, Alexei Ramotar
To facilitate an investigation into the financial arrangements of the E-Governance Project, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, yesterday instructed that the head of the initiative, Alexei Ramotar, be sent on administrative leave with immediate effect.
According to Harmon, this move is to ensure proper facilitation of these investigations.
Earlier this month, Harmon and a team visited the project after which he passed on instructions for Government’s Advisor on E-Governance Floyd Levi, to “work closely” with Ramotar and the project.
The E-Government Project consists of a Data Centre, a transmission network and the data network. The Data Centre, or control centre, is being housed in the compound of Castellani House.
The Transmission Network stretches from Moleson Creek on the Corentyne Coast to Charity on the Essequibo Coast.
The E-Governance project which is headed by Ramotar includes not only the fibre optic element but is part of a US$32M, three-component initiative to connect Government facilities along the Linden-Lethem road and the coastland, with internet access.
Contractors, because of the difficult terrain along the Linden-Lethem trail and technical issues with the integrity of the cable, ran into all sorts of problems with the cable from Brazil. The fibre optic cable project was intended to bring cheaper internet service to Guyana’s shores from the neighbouring Portuguese-speaking territory.
But after some years, the cable project collapsed and under pressure from the media, the previous administration admitted that the cable was in a poor state even though more than $1B had been spent on the cable component already.
While Government was recently told by Ramotar that the cable is now too expensive to repair and that it should cut its losses, the former administration which his father led, awarded a handsome contract to a local firm to repair it.
Before the PPP/C lost the May 11, 2015 elections, former Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon, announced that Dax Contracting Services owned by Faisal Mohamed, was awarded a contract to rehabilitate the cable.
The agreement states that Dax will undertake to repair and maintain the fibre optic cable from Brazil. But the many concessions in the project which were deemed as being highly unreasonable, is currently tied up at the Ministry of Finance.
Dax Contracting Services proprietor had told Kaieteur News that he is eager to meet the new administration and speak with them on the works needed to be done on the Brazil to Guyana fibre optic cable.
He sought to set the record straight that even though he was given what appeared to be a “sweetheart contract”, he has been unable to access the concessions.
Mohamed said, “It is tied up at the Finance Ministry.”
The Contractor said that as a result of this, he has been forced to dip into his own pockets to complete at least quarter of the works at a cost of millions of dollars.
He noted that thus far, he has finished most of the works on the Linden Highway with some minor adjustments to be made.
“I am willing to negotiate with the new administration, the whole contract and everything, concessions included. I want us all to be happy,” Mohamed added.
Mohamed is yet to have a meeting with the Granger administration.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
The third parties will not survive this year’s elections
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- The fate of third parties in this year’s general and regional elections is as predictable... more
OAS Secretary General Election and renewed OAS Consensus
Antiguan Barbudan Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The upcoming election... more
Weekend Cartoon
