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$1B drug contract awarded 3 days before 2015 elections…New GPC fails to deliver – Ministry of Public Health
On May 8, 2015, the last working day before the General and Regional Elections, a billion-dollar drug contract was awarded to New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation (New GPC).
New GPC Owner, Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop
But, “up to now, there is nothing to show for it.”
This is according to the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Public Health, Terrence Esseboom, who told Kaieteur News yesterday that the matter is expected to be highlighted in a missive to the press today.
The official said, “We are still waiting for drugs New GPC was paid for. Nothing was received for it. And they received contracts after that and that will be coming out.”
Esseboom reminded that the payment arrangement which allowed New GPC to uplift the entire billion-dollar cheque awarded to it by the former regime was contrary to all the country’s procurement procedures.
Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, had described the situation surrounding the health contracts and New GPC as nothing but “kick-down-the door banditry.”
Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge, had said that he found the actions of the previous Government in the lead-up to the May 11, 2015 polls, to be evidence of how “evil, corrupt, greedy and ruthless” it can be. He had stated that days before May 11, the past administration sought to chastise the media, particularly Kaieteur News and Stabroek News, when the entities exposed its “nasty and most corrupt acts.”
This newspaper had reported that the former administration had given out contracts for the procurement of drugs worth some US$12.8 million ($2,677,864,510) to New GPC.
Three Cabinet Minutes had been leaked and reproduced in the electronic media. The document showed that Cabinet approved its most expensive contract for $6,730,526 dated April 23, 2015. It was signed by former Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon.
Greenidge had said that the PPP/C had given so much to New GPC’s owner, Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, by breaking the laws, that it has made him “a king in his country.”
“Another critical point we need to pay attention to, and that is the fact that Ramroop was given the opportunity to supply almost 85 percent of the country’s drugs for nearly 20 years. Considering the empire he has been able to build through the sole sourcing of drugs, we see clearly, too, for how long value for money in the health sector has been evaded.”
It was estimated that over a period of seven years, more than US$200 million was spent on drug purchases, with the lion’s share going to New GPC.
Greenidge had said that the control Jagdeo gave Ramroop over the Health Sector was not only unhealthy for the competitive market, but it also marred attempts at transparency and accountability.
The politician had reiterated that through the sole sourcing of drugs, “Jagdeo and his government did not only ruthlessly rob the nation, but invited his best friend to help to further corrupt the system and to rob the poor people at the same time.”
New GPC has been a feature in the Auditor General’s report over the years, with several instances focused on multimillion-dollar deficiencies in the procurement and supply of drugs under the previous administration.
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