PPP to raise questions on D’Urban Park; other issues
The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has set out a number of questions it will be seeking answers to from
Minister David Patterson and members of the media during a tour of the D’urban Park
Government when the 36th sitting of the National Assembly reconvenes next Wednesday.
Among them is the reason why Government did not use the Guyana National Stadium for hosting the nation’s 50th Independence anniversary celebration.
Party Chief Whip Gail Teixeira said Government’s use of the National Stadium could have saved the country the billions of dollars it is now pumping into building a new structure to host the event next month.
“The National Stadium can seat 16,000 people and 5000 on the mound and in the field itself, can hold another 20,000. It has all the parking facilities, washroom, etc. It has first aid medical facilities, water etc… so our question is why was that not considered, especially that it would have saved the country money.
Teixeira said there still remains a number of unanswered questions, including the procurement of services, donors and contractors. She said the Party will also be raising concerns about what it said is the alleged defective and substandard ongoing works at the D’Urban Park facility.
The multimillion-dollar D’Urban Park facility is currently under construction and Government hopes that this could be completed the latest May 17.
The project was recently reassigned to the Public Infrastructure Ministry to ensure a faster pace to completion. Along with that reassignment, Government also pumped another $150 million towards the project. The motion on the D’Urban Park facility was tabled by the Sectoral Member of Parliament (MP) on Infrastructure Juan Edghill.
Listed too for answers, Teixeira said is the question on the solicitation of some $80 million as donations. The Chief Whip said her Party wishes to know where the money has come from, and where it has been put. This, she said, is in accordance with the financial laws.
Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall has also tabled two sets of questions on notice to the Minister with regards to the 34 honorific advisors. He will be seeking answers on who these advisors are, their qualifications etc, their jobs and salaries. Her Party has also presented two other motions. One is on the shortage of medical supplies and the other surrounds the issue that young MP’s are concerned about – the motion on curbing the rise of suicide rates in Guyana.
She said the PPP already submitted a motion to the Speaker in January calling for a debate on the status of the rice industry. That motion, she reminded, was rejected on the grounds that Government was not officially concerned with the rice industry by the Speaker.
“We had resubmitted that motion stating and showing that the official gazette assigned the responsibility, through the Ministry of Agriculture that one of its responsibilities is to the rice industry and so we are calling again for that… calling again for its resubmission.”
The Party will also again be requesting that the speaker call on Natural Resources Minister Rapahel Trotman to apologise for the misinformation he gave about the previous Government giving away productive forests.
