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GCCI President wants to see engineer’s estimate for US$5M Ocean View Hotel retrofitting
– Nicholas Deygoo-Boyer
President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Nicholas Deygoo-Boyer is questioning whether it really makes sense that the retrofitting of the Ocean View Hotel costs GYD$1B (US$5M).
Works ongoing at Ocean View Hotel
In an exclusive interview with Kaieteur News, the businessman said that he would like to see the engineer’s estimate for that project, to understand how such a cost was stamped onto the project, given the size of the structure.
“It’s honestly shocking,” he told Kaieteur News.
Minister of Finance Winston Jordan announced the leviathan cost mid-April in an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI), as he explained Government’s efforts to ramp up its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The President of the City Chamber told Kaieteur News that his honest opinion of the project is that it is not the most efficient use of public funds.
He said that he has spoken to a number of public health officials who posited that a better use of the funds would be the expansion of existing healthcare facilities, like the public hospitals.
GCCI President, Nicholas Deygoo-Boyer
“From a critical reasoning standpoint”, he said that Guyanese have to start asking themselves the question: “Does it make sense that a project like that should cost GYD$1B?”
Such a question is especially pertinent, the businessman posited, since Guyana has no idea yet of the timeline for the use of the expensive, intended COVID-19 hospital to come on stream.
In fact, he said, if certain private sector representatives ran that project and were given US$5M, they would be able to build such a hospital from the ground, buy the equipment and pay staff salaries for several months, if not, longer.
“You’re looking at US$5M and you still haven’t talked about acquisition costs,” Deygoo-Boyer said.
The figure does not include the cost for its acquisition, as the Chamber President pointed out. The order for Government’s acquisition of the property was gazetted on Thursday, but the cost is currently unknown.
Asked whether he would suggest an audit, the businessman affirmed.
While he understands the need for Government to undertake such projects to remedy the current public health emergency situation, Deygoo-Boyer explained that a hallmark of these projects has to be transparency so the people understand how their funds are being spent.
“If I were in charge, what I would have done is to get ahead of these types of headlines. Put out the engineer’s estimate… go to qualified tenders.”
Kaieteur News’ coverage of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) shows that this project did not come up in the Board’s weekly readings of tenders.
Kaieteur News made several unsuccessful attempts to contact the Ministry of Finance Public Relations Officer, Wanita Huburn for a comment.
Pull Quote: “Does it make sense that a project like that should cost GYD$1B?”
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