US working with civil society, media to expose, prosecute corruption in Caribbean

Nov 22, 2021 News

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Kaieteur News – The United States Government said that it is working with partners in government and civil society to expose and prosecute corruption, which reduces global economic output up to 5% each year.
The United States is also strengthening civilian tools, such as investigative journalism. This is according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken. In a major speech on October 20, 2021 in Quito, Ecuador, Blinken defended democracy as the best means of empowering people to tackle pressing problems. He said United States is working to ensure that democratic governments deliver for all the people of the Americas. Excerpts from Blinken’s speech were re-posted by the US Embassy in Georgetown on Sunday.

The speech comes amid mounting complaints about alleged government corruption in the oil and gas sector as well as the distribution of billions of dollars in cash grants by the Irfaan Ali Government. Both civil society organisations and sections of the local media have frequently reported on corruption in government in the awarding of mega contracts. Only last week Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon raised the issue, pointing to government giving out major contracts without the bipartisan watchdog body- Public Procurement Commission in place.
In his speech, Blinken said democratic governments have delivered unprecedented peace and prosperity to Latin America, increasing the middle class and cutting poverty in half. Yet he acknowledged that many people feel their governments are not doing enough. “The ability of our democracies to close the gap between what we promise and what we deliver depends in no small part on what we do together, to make it better,” Blinken said.
That’s why the United States is working with democratic partners in Latin America to combat corruption, keep people safe, and tackle persistent economic and social challenges, such as inequality and discrimination, he said.
Partnering against corruption
In the area of corruption, Blinken said preventing corruption is central to preserving faith in government. To this end he said the United States is working with partners in government and civil society to expose and prosecute corruption, which reduces global economic output up to 5% each year. The United States is also strengthening civilian tools, such as investigative journalism.
“These tools will help us raise the cost of corruption far beyond our borders,” Blinken said. “No country can effectively fight corruption alone, or even just with the help of other governments. We need strong anti-corruption partners everywhere — and in every field.”
Blinken also said the United States is seeking to address the root causes of criminal activity in the hemisphere by investing in communities, rather than simply funding security forces. Past U.S. efforts focused too much on “the symptoms of organized crime, like homicides and drug trafficking, and too little on the root causes,” he said. “We’re working to correct that imbalance.” The United States is supporting violence-prevention programs in communities, while also training prosecutors and judges to strengthen the rule of law.
Harmon, during a Press Conference last Wednesday explained that the PPP Administration has decided that they would take a grip on the Public Procurement Process, to ensure that only those persons and companies that support them get any form of contract from the Government. He added, “What they have done, they have dismantled the Public Procurement Commission, they have dismantled the National Procurement and Tender Board Administration and replaced it with a system which leads directly to Bharrat Jagdeo”.

The former Minister of State says that the absence of the PPC is in violation of the Constitution, which states, under the Public Procurement Commission Tribunal Act, that “There shall be a Public Procurement Commission. The purpose of which is to monitor public procurements, the procedures there for, in order to ensure that the procurement of goods, services, and execution of works are conducted in a fair, equitable, transparent, competitive and cost effective manner, according to law and such Policy guidelines as may be determined by the National Assembly. The Commission shall be independent, impartial and discharge its functions fairly”.
Harmon said that due to the Commission not being in place, the Government has been awarding contracts to their friends and family, who will in return keep them in power.
“So there is no Public Procurement Commission and so what is happening, these miscreants are awarding these contracts to their friends at will, without any oversight. Companies with no known profiles are being awarded contracts…the PPP are using their cronies to control different sectors, as they pilfer state resources and they are putting them in critical positions, so they can help them stay in power, but I am putting all of these people on notice that it will not work. Not under my watch,” he warned.
The Opposition Leader made reference to the recent award of a $346 million contract, for the construction of a school, to St8ment Construction, a newly registered company with no records, but “are known affiliates of the PPP”.
He also pointed to another contract where a close friend of the ruling administration, and a fierce opponent of the Opposition, was granted a telecommunications licence.
In this regard, Harmon promised to continue to apply the pressure for the establishment of the Public Procurement Commission and expose the “corrupt nature of the PPP regime”. He said that we can expect Guyana to regress on the International Transparency Index, due to the awards of projects taking place.
The former Minister was keen to note that in the absence of a PPC, all contracts being awarded will be subject to a review once the Public Procurement Commission is reestablished. “(They) must be subject to review, and so all of the kickbacks and all of these overpriced projects that are going on, people will have to account for them,” he noted. “And I am serving notice to all of the companies that are now the beneficiaries of this largish from the PPP that you will have to account for these monies,” he signaled.

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