Dear Editor,
Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson has made a valid and timely assessment when he stated that the people should hold all contractors responsible for shoddy and substandard work done and he hit the bull’s eye when he further contended that each citizen has a right to demand value for money.
The Minister’s statement came at an opportune time when there is massive corruption going on in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and I am profoundly gratified when I read Dr Ramayya’s exposé on the corrupt practices in this region. The substandard work done at Barakara is just the tip of the iceberg; more than 90 per cent of the capital works done are of a substandard nature or the costs are highly inflated so that again there is no value for money. In fact, with the capital works proposed in the 2017 Budget, it is my estimation that if proper budgetary planning was done then the people of Region Six would be accessing more value for money in 2017. This is where the Minister’s input is vitally necessary.
Moreover, the Minister should investigate the high volume of ‘emergency works’ done in the region. Here again, value for money is lost since these costs of these works are highly inflated and skewed in favour of the contractor and those receiving the ‘kickbacks’. For instance, during the El Nino period in March-April 2016, the Government awarded millions of dollars to do excavation works from Whim to Number 74 Village but nearly 60 per cent on these projects were already done by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) machines and these contracts were awarded to a close associate of a Region Six official.
I suggest that the Minister carry out an investigation since the records must indicate that these drainage canals were already done by NDIA machines deployed in the region.
In a letter to the press, I highlighted the substandard work done at Number 52 Middle Walk Access Road which began disintegrating just after three weeks of being constructed. I wish the Minister could investigate this but I want to implore him not to send the same team which went to Barakara.
Another issue affecting cost and standard of work is the fact that some of the contractors who were awarded works do not have the necessary machinery and equipment to do the work and have to sub-contract some aspects of the job. Why should these people be given contracts when they do not have the necessary machinery to successfully carry execute them?
Lastly, I wish to congratulate the Communities Minister and the Regional Chairman since there is now a new round of consultations with the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDC) and the works prioritised by them are now being fairly assessed and which hopefully will find its way into the Regional Estimate 2017. Never again should consultation be sacrificed so that corrupt practices can reign. However, I do hope also that NDCs are given a copy of the regional estimates so that they can make a proper assessment in the future.
Yours sincerely,
Lakram Singh
Vice Chairman Works
Committee
Number 52-74 NDC
