Latest update April 18th, 2024 12:59 AM
May 31, 2012 News
The Alliance For Change (AFC) has signaled intentions to name accountants, Christopher Ram and Dr. Anand Goolsarran, to be members of the long-awaited Public Procurement Commission (PPC).
With accusations of corruption, opposition parties have long been clamouring for that constitutional body which will have oversight to probe Government contracts. There have been several delays in the appointment of that five-member commission with the opposition
parties accusing the former Bharrat Jagdeo-led PPP/C government of foot-dragging.
Responding to questions over plans by his party to tackle long standing issues over Government contracts, AFC’s Chairman, Khemraj Ramjattan, yesterday defended the choice of Ram and Goolsarran.
“AFC is proposing two very top notch names… Christopher Ram and Anand Goolsarran to be members of that five-man commission.”
Ramjattan said that it is a requirement that members of the Commission be qualified in law, business, economics and management.
“…And when we look at those two persons, we know that Christopher Ram knows his accounting. We know he is a lawyer and fully qualified. If there is one man that can scrutinize these matters for us in that constitutional body it is Christopher Ram.”
Regarding Goolsarran, a former Auditor General, Ramjattan pointed out that the accountant was considered qualified enough to work with an arm of the United Nations as an auditor. Doctor Goolsaran has even written a book on Guyana and is a “fantastic accountant,” the Parliamentarian said.
“He is experienced in public works and that means he is fully qualified to be there. These two fit the bill perfectly and they are willing to work as far as I know.”
Questioned about Ram and Goolsarran being critics of government, Ramjattan was clear about the two men’s professionalism.
“I do not believe that their freedom of expressions during the course of their public duties and their citizenship should be any hurdle or any block to being appointed. In any event, it is people who have been talking about the issues who will know about these issues and you want people who know the issues to be there.
“You don’t want to play test cricket when you have never played Shell Shield. This is test cricket you are going to play at the Public Procurement Commission.”
According to Ramjattan, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), a Parliamentary body which scrutinizes government accounts, has the authority to recommend names to the PPC.
“I am happy that the Public Accounts Committee got its inaugural session going. PAC has the authority to recommend names of the Public Procurement Commission and will soon do so.”
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