More attention must be paid to Smart City Solutions

Dear Editor,

I wish to wholly commend the Movement Against the Parking Meters (MAPM) and other interest groups for their principled stand and genuine concern for transparency and fairness, and for lawfulness becoming a hallmark within the Georgetown Municipality; but I do believe that they are overlooking a few very serious elements in this whole melee, for which attention ought to be paid. For one thing, with our current focus on money laundering and the prevention of other financial crimes being perpetuated in our country, the Guyanese populace ought to be made aware, with the provision of evidential material, of where Smart City Solutions – a company of recent vintage – got the ten million United States Dollars it claims to be investing into the parking meters’ project here. For another, the citizens ought to be regaled with details of how this US$ 10 million is being spent; as, to date, all we have seen are a few second or third hand parking meters installed, some signs, some wheel clamps, some road markings, and some meter maids running around the place. This could in no way be close to ten million US bucks.

And for yet another thing: with the recent revelation that a key player from the contractor’s side has a criminal record in the US, it is important that character assessments be done of all of the major players of Smart City Solutions and their affiliated companies. The risk of the city becoming unwittingly ensnared in international financial crimes is too great.

No stone must be left unturned on getting to the bottom of this nefarious deal; and a deal it certainly is.

Best regards,

Sambu Jacobus