Latest update April 25th, 2024 12:59 AM
Sep 10, 2017 News
A senior Region Two official believes that there is a deliberate ploy to make Region Two,
Essequibo look bad.
According to Regional Executive Officer (REO), Rupert Hokinson, there is growing indication the vouchers for payments as well as others procedures are being stifled.
Region Two is a stronghold of the Opposition– People’s Progressive Party— with the Regional Administration in their control.
Hopkinson, in a statement expressing his frustration, said that he was forced to respond after complaints that contractors who have been awarded jobs in the Region are being alerted weeks later, further delaying the process.
He said that there is more than $25M in capital projects that have been awarded but contractors
have not been directed to their project sites to commence work, more than a month after.
“This situation not only results in a slowdown of the project implementation programme, but also, an unfair delay in payments which can cripple some contractors. Small contractors, who do not have strong credit relationships, are particularly vulnerable,” he warned.
Noting that the development of the Region is dependent on the implementation and completion of projects, Hopkinson said several things are affected when projects are completed late.
“To understand this reasoning, consider the chain of events that takes place in the Project Cycle. When contractors are taken to their projects late, project execution is late; payments to contractors are late; workers are not paid promptly or cheap unskilled workers may have to be employed, and perhaps most significant of all, incomes to households are affected. All these factors interfere with the chain of spending needed in the economy, needed to create business activities for the development of the Region, and by extension, the country.”
He said that the simple and perhaps innocent, act of delaying any phase of project implementation, be it taking contractors late or signing their payment vouchers late, can produce a ripple effect, that ultimately punishes and even destroys family units.
“Because of the political makeup of the Region let’s hope that these actions are not politically motivated, especially since the Works Committee headed by a member of the Opposition, signs off on the projects sometimes months after project completion.”
It was disclosed that one contractor, Roopan Ramotar, who is owed $7.9M for two projects awarded in March 29, last, and completed in May, just could not stand it any longer.
The contractor clashed with the Engineering Department of the Region over the payments.
The contractor’s voucher only reached the desk of Hopkinson on August 27, after it was signed by the Works Committee Chairperson a few days before- more than three months after the contract was signed.
The REO said that checks with contractors for some 50 projects found that the majority of them were only told about three weeks after the awards.
“In one particular case, it took my personal intervention, three weeks after the contract for the project was signed, to get the Roads Superintendent to take contractor (name can be supplied) to the site of his project, awarded to him at $6,997,000.
In fact, letters available would show that $25,251,590 in capital projects have not been shown to the awarded contractors, as at August 27, 2017, more than one month after they were awarded, though a letter to the Regional Engineer requested that the contractors be taken to their project sites within three days.”
Hopkinson said he has made several complaints but to no avail and is now forced to come public.
“I have made numerous complaints and I am now compelled to bring this situation to the public and call for a swift investigation into a situation which will eventually bring disrepute to the administration’s hard work.”
The official argued that it is a fact that the delayed project implementation gives the Region a false implementation status and rating, conveying to authorities that the Pomeroon-Supenaam Region, and by extension, the Regional Executive Officer is not performing efficiently.
“It is statistically impossible to award more than 90% of your capital projects and your implementation percentage is only 30% of your budgetary allocations.
This is the case in Region Two. For the regional economy, these actions by public officials lead to a loss of potential development in the Region and Country.”
The REO noted that if the situation in Region Two remains unchecked, it can do great economic and social harm.
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