City Engineer’s Department could take two years to approve building plans – COI hears

Oct 27, 2018 News

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City Engineer, Colvern Venture has told the Commission of Inquiry, (COI) into the management of City Hall that it could take up to two years for a construction plan to be approved by his department.
Venture was at the time being questioned in relation to the plans submitted by owner of Camex restaurants, Terence Campbell.
Campbell is the holder of food franchise which is the licensed dealer for Church’s Chicken, Mario’s Pizza, Pollo Tropical, Quiznos and Dairy Queen in Guyana. He accused the City Engineer’s Department of deliberately hindering the expansion of his fast food franchise.
Campbell detailed to the Commission what he claimed were hurdles he has encountered with officers of the Council, in his bid to expand his business.
He claimed that the setbacks and difficulties have not only taken a toll on him mentally but financially.
He blamed the M&CC particularly the City Engineer’s Department for hindering the expansion of his business. Yesterday, the City Engineer faced a series of questions relating to approving the building plans. Venture was asked specifically about two plans, which were presented to his department by Mr. Campbell for approval.
The City Engineer told the commission that the first plan was submitted in 2014 for a restaurant in South Ruimveldt and another was submitted in 2015 for the expansion of a restaurant on Camp Street.
He noted that the first plan took a while to be approved since it had to be processed by other agencies including the Central Housing and Planning Authority,( CHPA)and Guyana Water Incorporated, (GWI) before permission is granted by the Engineer’s Department .
According to Venture, the other agencies contribute to the stalling process. “Our department must wait until GWI or CH&PA gives the go ahead before, we approve it. “It has been four years. Do you think that the approval will come anytime soon? I understand that it has been approved,” Venture said in relation to one of the building plans
So how will the applicant know that his plan has been approved? Asked Benjamin
He has to keep checking with the Department.
In regards to the second plan, the witness told the commission that the application is still being processed.
Asked about the length of time the engineer’s department takes to approve a plan, Venture noted that it could take from a few weeks or close to two years before the plan with minute problems could be approve.
“It all depends on the problems we are looking at; the plan can take longer.” Venture told the Commission
In his evidence before the Commission, the food franchise holder complained that his company invested over $30M in renovation and acquiring a building but was unable to occupy it after the City Engineer’s Department denied them permission.
Mr. Campbell said that he is baffled at the reason that City Hall would delay and deny his company a permit.
“It could be a combination of things. Business people have said to me, ‘come I will take you to so and so’, but taking me to those people, you would have to pay something under the table and as a matter of principle; I will not pay a bribe. I will not pay a traffic policeman a bribe; I will not pay a customs officer a bribe; I will not pay anyone from city council a bribe. I don’t pay bribes.”
The businessman said what he finds strange, too, is that in the past even up until the Sooba administration, there were no difficulties.
“It would take six months to a year but permissions would come. From the time the new administration, and being more specific, I don’t believe that we have had any application approved since Colvern Venture has become City Engineer.
“I believe the last one to be approved was an extension done to Church’s in Camp Street.
“And I remember Mr. Venture coming to me and saying you don’t have permission but I said ‘no, that permission has been there over a year ago.’
“I don’t believe we have had any permission granted for any work whatsoever since Mr. Venture took office.”
Additionally, the businessman claimed that he knows no reason why he should be targeted.
“It has to stop. I am Guyanese; I have to pay taxes, a lot of it, and it’s unfair to me that permission is not granted. And it’s not even a question of denying the plans. It’s actually disrespectful that you collect my money for an application and never respond to me,” Campbell said.
He noted that given the setbacks, the Company is preparing to take the matter to Court.
“It is important for us to take action. We do have other plans, for other development and those developments require building permission. I have sent the document to my lawyer and I believe he might be writing to them soon,” he added.

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