Latest update December 4th, 2024 2:40 AM
$120M contracts for slashing of road shoulders should be recalled – Region Six PM rep
A section of the Number 19 Road that was cleared
The Prime Minister’s representative of Region Six, Gobin Harbhajan is calling for the contract for cleaning of road shoulders to be recalled after information surfaced that the contracts were not tendered.
“The road shoulder contract issue has been raised at our RDC Statutory Meeting, if this contract is not properly tendered for as was mentioned at the RDC, then I’m calling on the Ministry of Public Infrastructure to recall all contracts regarding the slashing of the road shoulders, because other contractors and persons are complaining that only one set of persons receive the contracts”.
He added that over the years, complaints of corruption in Berbice were highlighted by him and he will continue to bring it to the public’s attention. ”If this particular contract was not awarded properly then it doesn’t look good in the eyes of the public. The perception out there is that Berbice is the breeding ground for corruption and we need to put a stop to this, during the past few election campaigns I have fought against corruption and I refuse to turn a blind eye on any sort of corruption. Based on information I received from the RDC Statutory meeting, I wrote a letter to the Hon. Prime Minister Mr. Moses Nagamootoo and brought this issue to his attention”, Harbhajan lamented.
The claim is that approximately $120M in contracts were “served on a platter” to several contractors in Berbice. Regional Chairman, David Armogan, commenting on the developments, claimed that persons were selected based on their political affiliation and this has raised eyebrows within the region.
”When we asked the Ministry of Public Infrastructure for information as to how these people were selected, we are not getting any information. Our understanding is that the contract is for $120 million for eight or nine people who have been given the contract for the road shoulders”, Armogan said.
He opined that persons who are equipped to do the job should have been given the go ahead to tender for the contract, “this is clear nepotism”, he said. Armogan further added that, “if you want to help your own, it should not be a problem, but you have to do it in a transparent manner… but these people are doing what they want to do and we are gonna expose them”.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Deeply concerned about political dysfunction in society
Dear Editor The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) is deeply concerned about the political dysfunction in society that is... more
Haiti: Tragically Descending into Deeper Crisis
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- As gang violence spirals out of control in Haiti, the limitations of international... more
Weekend Cartoon
