Two years after the Office of the Auditor General (AG) unearthed several financial discrepancies relating to the supply of pliers and high-frequency radios, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is seeking a host of luxury vehicles for officers to carry out their functions. The vehicles under question cost around $18 million each (USD$84,765) but the cost to the taxpayer could amount to be much higher when other taxes are included. This intended purchase comes less than two months before the Local Government Elections (LGE) which are set for November 12.
“GECOM is located all across the country and our fleet of vehicles that we have are very old. For years they have been overused, some are not even in proper
GECOM’s Chairman, retired Justice James Patterson
working condition,” an official disclosed on Wednesday.
In an advertisement published on September 19, 2018, in the local newspapers, the elections body invited sealed bids from qualified bidders for the procurement of vehicles in two lots. The “Lot 1” section seeks five ‘new Land Cruisers’ while “Lot 2” will require two ‘new minibuses’.
The bidders for the five luxury vehicles and the two buses will have to submit their bids to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) at the Finance Ministry’s headquarters in Georgetown on or before October 9. GECOM further explained that this bidding will be conducted through the National Competitive Bidding (NCB) procedures in keeping with regulations as outlined in the National Procurement Act of 2003.
Guyana Times sought comments from GECOM’s Chairman, retired Justice James Patterson on the advert for the multimillion-dollar luxury purchases but was redirected to his secretary. Public Relations Officer of GECOM, Yolanda Warde justified the body’s move to procure the items on the basis that such vehicles are needed for the entity to carry out its operations.
“Like anything else, a vehicle is a necessity for the day-to-day functioning of the organisation and so it’s important for us to continue to replenish to ensure that we have working vehicles to ensure that we effectively execute our mandate,” Yarde
Toyota’s brand new 2019 Land Cruiser is starting at US$84,765
explained.
However, Government has been advancing its Green State Agenda, which includes policies that encourage the use of energy efficient machinery. It can be deduced that efficient fuel consumption falls under the agenda. Guyana Times asked Yarde to respond to concerns that Land Cruisers may not be the most effective vehicles in terms of energy consumption but the PRO maintained that items are needed given the terrain of the country.
“They may not be [the most efficient] but this is Guyana; we have very remote locations and these are the type of vehicles that are needed to go to those locations,” she said.
Speaking on the use of All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), Yarde stated that whenever GECOM’s Registration Officers in far-flung areas cannot use the Land Cruisers, the ATVs will be utilised.
In 2016, Auditor General Deodat Sharma conducted a special audit after there were discrepancies with the purchasing of 50VHF (Very High Frequency) communication radios by GECOM for close to $100 million. These purchases had occurred prior to the May 2015 General and Regional Elections and raised concerns over the extraordinarily high cost of the equipment.
In April 2015, GECOM spent some $14.8 million for the purchase of nippers/pliers that was meant to be used on ballot boxes at 2299 polling stations across the country. By division, the unit cost amounted to some $6600. Checks two years ago revealed that similar pliers were retailing at $600.
