To the extent it is allowed… We will make public all documents on financiers behind PPP-Finance Minister

To the extent it is allowed… We will make public all documents on financiers behind PPP–Finance Minister

Jul 04, 2018 News

Chartered Accountant, Anand Goolsarran

By Kiana Wilburg
There is nothing in the Government’s framework for Public Private Partnerships (PPP) which explicitly states that all information on shareholders or financiers of future projects would be made public.
But Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, insists that the Coalition Administration is committed to transparency and accountability and its actions for PPPs shall be in keeping with this principle.
Speaking with Kaieteur News on this matter, Jordan said, “…Within that framework, it allows us to approach investors or for investors to approach us to build a project based on certain principles. We have already indicated that to the extent it is allowed, we will make all documents open, transparent and the ones that have to go to Parliament will go to Parliament.”
He added, “Our mandate when we came into Government was one of accountability and transparency and I think, so far, I don’t know you can beat us on our head about any opaque deal. Our manifesto says that is what we are and what we are up to…”

Finance Minister, Winston Jordan

PPP APROACH
For the time being, the Government of Guyana has been praised by most for moving ahead with plans to construct a Demerara Bridge Crossing at Houston, Georgetown. But all those praises can go down the drain if it fails to be transparent and accountable with the people.
Making this statement recently in his writings was Chartered Accountant and former Auditor General, Anand Goolsarran. The columnist noted that the government is using a Public Private Partnership model to ensure the success of the project.
He noted however, that PPP arrangements can be very complex, sometimes involving the use of proprietary information, intellectual property and issues of privacy.
Goolsarran commented, “Therefore, an appropriate balance needs to be found to satisfy the needs and expectations of the public. It will be unacceptable for confidentiality clauses to be inserted in any proposed agreement that will prevent the public from having a proper understanding of the project, its cost structure and basis under which the toll fees have been arrived at.”
In spite of his concerns, Goolsarran said that the proposed construction of the new Demerara Bridge Crossing is a welcome development to ease the severe daily traffic congestion on the East Bank Demerara roadway, especially from Diamond to Georgetown.
He remarked, “One hopes that the works will be completed in the shortest possible period of time and that the fees to be charged for the bridge-crossing will not be exorbitant.”
Given the Government’s expressed desire to adopt the PPP approach to certain infrastructure development works and service delivery, Goolsarran cautioned nonetheless that extreme care needs to be taken not to repeat the mistakes of the past.
MARRIOTT DEAL
One of the most controversial PPP arrangements in the past is the Marriott Hotel. Since talks of its establishment in 2011 to now, the media and other industry stakeholders have been unable to see the full Marriott Hotel contract because of “confidentiality clauses.”
The Coalition Administration had promised to make the contract public if it got into office but this is still to be seen.
In the interest of transparency and accountability, Chairman of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), Dr. Maurice Odle, had also said that the contract for the controversial Marriott Hotel should be made public.
Odle had remarked that too often, the citizenry hears of agreements being made between the Government and private parties and when there is a call for scrutiny to take place, “The infamous confidentiality clause is invoked.”
The NICIL Chairman added, “And where there is too much confidentiality clause it leads to corruption as in the case of the Marriott Hotel. For the Marriott, too many confidentiality clauses led it into the avenue of corruption. All those different confidentiality clauses that they were invoking led to a set of actions which cannot be substantiated.”
Odle emphasized that the more the nature of such agreements are known to the electors and the taxpayers on whose behalf the Government is acting, then the better it will be for the accomplishment of good governance in Guyana.
But when asked to say if he will provide a copy of the Marriott Hotel contract to the media, he declined. He had said, “I am Chairman of NICIL and not Atlantic Holdings Inc. (AHI) which is the Board overseeing the operations of Marriott…”

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