Numerous questions being asked but no answers coming from those in authority

Dear Editor,
Since May 2015, the massive transparency and accountability shortcomings with respect to public spending by the APNU/AFC Government is indeed unprecedented. Some of these related matters have been furiously protested by the Opposition in the National Assembly, and raised by many private and public media without any palpable response or corrections.
The situation not only informs of the rampant ‘get rich quick tendencies of many in the current Government’; but also further exposes the strongly related reasons why the coalition Government has been defunct on establishing the Local Government Commission (LGC). It is widely known that the LGC has the mandate to regulate and maintain acceptable balance in the Councils of these entities.
The over spills of the non-transparent cagey practices into other local government structures continue unchecked; so much so, that the tenfold fortification of the Auditor General’s Office Staff is significantly justified. This alarming emergence at the various levels of local governance structures is indeed strongly linked to the ongoing manipulation of administrative staff functioning at the Regional Democratic Councils (RDC) and the Neighbouring Democratic Councils (NDC) which is controlled by the Communities Minister.
Space constraints do not permit elaboration on the numerous objectionable APNU/AFC practices. One illustration however, is the situation at the Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) RDC. In May 2016, this regional administration opened 927 tender documents for the Capital Works programme of the region. This was indeed unprecedented! The Tender Board members painfully went through the tedious process of examining each tender, and thereafter, everything that took place after that was a ‘big’ secret.
This author has been reliably informed that to date, no related Minutes were circulated to the Council, or to the members of the Tender Board despite persons and Councillors writing several letters requesting the minutes and the decisions of that important meeting. The elected Members have not received any documentation confirming what took place at that Tender Board meeting where 927 tenders were opened. Yet still, many awards of tenders were made.
It is crystal clear that this APNU/AFC coalition Government has no intention of being accountable and transparent in advancing works in the interest of citizens, but rather, setting up suspicious manipulative structures to feed their get rich quick syndrome. Reputable members of the Region Four RDC are complaining bitterly about corruption at all levels in the region. There are numerous questions being asked but no answers coming from those in authority.
The 927 tenders opened, were expected to facilitate the execution of developmental work in the entire region that is on the East Coast and East Bank of Demerara. Unfortunately, the concealment surrounding the Capital and current works at the regional level is certainly a deterrent planning for development. It leads to serious suspiciousness in the region, and further spills over into the NDCs, since the region conducts monitoring supervision for some projects done in NDC areas.
In one voice, members of the Tender Board and Councillors are asking what is happening here?
Barring exceptional exigencies, all projects slated for execution under normal circumstances, must be clearly outlined in the National Budget of a fiscal year and be appropriated by the Parliament of Guyana. It is customary that all projects be advertised in the print media for a specified period, which will allow all bidders to complete the bidding document and submit same with other legal requirements to the procuring authority in time, prior to the opening of the tenders.
Additionally, the sale of tender documents for Government-funded projects must be carefully done and reconciled with the amount printed. How much are sold? At what price? Together with a Government of Guyana receipt is issued in every single case are key elements. All related revenues collected must be deposited into the Consolidated Fund.
Further, in accordance with the tender rules and regulations, most if not all the projects to be executed are opened in the presence of the public. At the public opening, and in accordance with the instructions to the bidders, an announcement must be made for every tender. All bidders must submit valid GRA/IRD and NIS Compliances and it is also expected that an Engineer’s estimate be announced at the opening of the tenders.
It is important that the entire Tender Board meeting must be documented in writing, while regarding ‘consultancy’, all the details relating to the Consultant/Consulting firm must be made public. The tender rules and regulations also provide that an evaluation committee is selected from a pool of evaluators to review and submit a written evaluation report on the selection process; signed by the evaluators within a specified time frame.
We advocate seriously about getting things done in a transparent way for the benefit of the Guyanese people.

Sincerely,
Neil Kumar