$13M piggery taken over by bush

Jan 17, 2020 News

In early 2018 under the Regional Economic Developmental Programme for Region Five, a model farm was launched and subsequently developed months later. The farm was intended to have a piggery, other livestock and crops.

The Region Five project.

However, the leaked 2018 Auditor General’s report, reveals that the construction of the building to house pigs for the farm was carried out and a contract was awarded in the sum of $13,720,000 to the lowest bidding contractor.
This was done “at his corrected bid price” since it was considered “urgent” by the regional administration.
According to the report, as of the 31st December 2018 the sum of $13,172,000 was paid out to the contractor but “a physical inspection on 12 June 2019 revealed that the building is still unutilised and was overgrown with vegetation”, the report said.
The head of the budget agency for the Region in response to the AG’s findings had indicated that because there was “insufficient funding” to complete the structure “it was unutilised”.
The agency further stated that to facilitate the operation of the piggery “funds were allocated from the 2019 allocation”. However, to date the building is still not utilised. This was confirmed by a regional source.
A total of $35M was allotted for Crops and Land Utilisation Project, spearheaded by Regional Executive Officer, Ovid Morrison.
According to the report, the region’s budget submission indicated that the project was expected to “foster agricultural development and education within the region and aims to promote crop rotation techniques, proper land utilisation, processing of by products, providing agricultural supplies to schools and hospitals and provide employment for persons in the region”.
Twelve farm hands/labourers were employed in 2018 to work on the farm. According to the report, there were discussions with the Head of the Budget Agency which highlighted that the farm is in operation and functions as a “economic venture for the region” where cash crops are planted and sold.
But while such was taking place, the report mentioned that checks to verify the revenue received “proved futile” since there was “no cash collected, or records maintained were provided”.
As such, the AG report noted that the region is in breach of the FMA act. Part IV of the Regulations to the FMA Act which states “that every person who collects and or receive public money shall record the information in a register kept for that purpose with: (i) the date of receipt; (ii) the amount received, deposited or withheld; and (iii) all other information required for identification or audit purpose. At the time of reporting in September 2019, it was decided that a special audit on the operations of the farm would be done and a separate report issued.
The model farm was launched on lands leased to the Regional Administration by the Mahaica Mahaicony Abary/Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA), at Naarstigheid West Coast Berbice (WCB). It is being executed in three phases.