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Mar 03, 2017 Letters
Dear Editor,
In light of the extensive coverage, weekly protests, letters in the press, interviews, call-in programs on the Parking Meters situation, I thought it may be useful to share with you some of the key questions that must be asked and answered. This is the first of two letters
It has been reported in the newspapers that there is a very low level of investment in Guyana. Has the government considered the ‘political cost’ of the parking meter imbroglio? Is the government aware of the ‘message’ being sent to potential investors, by the way they are handling this metered parking situation? Would potential investors consider Guyana as providing a ‘level playing field’ worthy of consideration? Is the government aware that governments and businesses check The Corruption Perceptions Index of the public sector of countries? What is Guyana’s ranking on this index? Is it below the midpoint of the scale, i.e., highly corrupt? Was Smart City solutions aware of Guyana’s ranking on this index?
Are there laws that govern the procurement of goods and services in Guyana? If so, which laws apply? What is the procedure that should have been followed in the procurement of the contract between Smart City and the Georgetown Mayor and City Council? Was the procurement process for securing such a contract followed? Was the contract publicly tendered? Advertised? Where is the written evidence supporting this claim? Is the Town Clerk not aware that assertion is not proof, and that he must provide demonstrable evidence to support his claims?
Who are the parties authorized to go into contract on behalf of the City Council? Who were the persons who actually went into the contract? Was it the City Council? The Mayor? The Town Clerk? Wasn’t one of the directors of Smart City solutions, according to the newspapers, found to be a felon? Wouldn’t that discovery warrant a closer look at the ‘bona fides’ of all concerned?
Was due diligence followed in ascertaining the bona fides of the parties involved? Is there any documentary evidence showing SmartCity’s legitimacy, credentials? Does it have a physical address? A website?
Big contracts like the Smart City Metered Parking contract are made in a certain context? Who are the Power Brokers behind the contract? Who signed as witness to the contract? Is there any significance to that? Besides being the Chairman of the Finance Committee and the General Secretary of the PNC, what was the role of the General Secretary? What is the relationship between the General Secretary, the Leader of the PNC, the Minister of Public Communities and the government?
Can any inferences be drawn? Would it not be reasonable to infer, that based on the interrelationships, there is more in the mortar than meets the eye? Was the contract approved by the City Council? If so, when? Where would the written evidence be found? In the minutes?
It has been reported that the Attorney General, the Ministry of Finance and others, including the Office of the President, have reviewed the contract and found the terms to be onerous among other things etc. The question then is: Can the ‘hands-off’ or ‘nonintervention’ approach to the operations of the City Council be considered as merely political posturing? Who among us does not know that other ‘interventions’ in other matters have already been made?
The Town Clerk has repeatedly claimed in television interviews that the procurement process was transparent. What does ‘transparent’ mean to the Town Clerk? Does putting a document on ‘display’ in a fixed location and within a rigid time frame and other constraints satisfy the accepted norms of ‘transparency’? An interesting question here is: When was the contract first ‘displayed’ to members of the City Council? Is it not true to say that providing limited access to view a document does not rise to the level of the principles of transparency?
The Town Clerk has repeatedly offered a number of reasons as justification for entering the contract with Smart City including the following. He claims that the solution proffered by Smart City Solutions brings the following benefits to the city: it reduces traffic congestion and brings order to the city, it generates badly needed revenue for the City Council, it contributes to the beautification of the city, it provides employment for an increasing number of Guyanese, it would elevate the city of Georgetown to levels comparable to the major cities of the world, and moreover, the City Council does not have to put up any ‘upfront money’ and would get a ‘whopping’, according to him, 20 percent from the project. However, he failed to clarify 20 percent of what? Gross or net intake? While those arguments have a certain superficial appeal they are somewhat unconvincing.
Business consultant
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