A string of European Union (EU) funded micro-project deals were inked yesterday under new implementation regulations following months of a government hold-up.
Around ten groups from across the country signed contracts with the local micro-project office, and within another few days several more are expected to receive funding that had been previously approved.
The local office is currently verifying many of the proposals as part of the process and is set to pronounce on them within the coming days as the deadline for implementation in December nears.
Programme Manager, Jimmy Bhojedat confirmed yesterday that they inked the deals noting that work can now commence. He said that the office was unable to sign with every group yesterday for various reasons, but pointed out that there is still time for groups to be signed on.
Since the initial date for signing had passed months ago many of the projects reportedly now fall outside of the new time-frame, but some groups are re-working proposals to submit before the office ends its verification process.
It is part of the new regulations that all projects be completed in December, and some of the groups previously approved have project proposals in excess of three months.
Bhojedat said the office had been in contact with several of the groups since government gave the go-ahead last month for funds to be disbursed. He pointed out that they had been looking forward to signing the deals since this leg of the micro-projects will be the final clutch of such projects that the EU is funding.
He said the office is aware of the quandary that some groups may be caught in due to the new regulations but according to him, “there is still time for people to conform with it and sign on”.
Bhojedat emphasized that the office will continue to sign contracts in the coming weeks, adding that groups need to work along with them.
Stabroek News spoke with Lloyda Angus of the Trafalgar/Union Communion Develop-ment Council, who was on hand for the signing yesterday but was not among those inking deals.
She explained that her group was asked to re-work a few things, which they have, and she is now awaiting word from the office.
Angus, who was quite vocal on the delay of the projects and had earlier noted her frustration, said that she was invited to the city to be part of the signing.
According to her, the micro-project office has promised to be in touch at the earliest possible date.
“This is finally happening for us and I am happy but there are still many groups out there awaiting word from the office, and I hope they can rejoice as well.
It would be hard for some to receive and others to be left out”, she noted.
Prior to government giving its approval Angus had been planning a petition. Her West Coast Berbice group has proposed to set up a poultry-rearing enterprise with a view to bringing relief to residents of the Numbers 28, 29 and 30 Villages.
Cash crop
But Ewart Hamilton of the United Brethren in Collaboration group for which the EU approved funding for cash crop farming at Mara’s Village, East Bank Berbice said he is still awaiting a positive word from the office.
According to him word quickly spread yesterday that the office was signing contracts but his group was not officially informed. Hamilton said they spent money to clear the land at Berbice, adding that the land is ready for work to commence.
He said that though their project had initially proposed an implementation period in excess of three months they can complete the work in two months once the funding is released.
In a statement in August, the Ministry of Finance said that it had granted approval for outstanding disbursements to be made under the Guyana Micro- Projects programme pending resolution of the administrative issues that were identified previously. “The Micro-Projects Programme management is yet to satisfactorily address these administrative concerns. In the interim, however, programme management and the Board are working with the Ministry to resolve the issues”, the statement said.
“The ministry has indicated that this decision was taken in the interest of ensuring that on-going micro projects are completed and that beneficiaries receive the anticipated level of support projected under the Programme”, it added.
In late May, the government withdrew its support of the 39 projects that were selected for funding. Questioned about the issue in parliament, Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh had said that the government had “administrative concerns” regarding the projects. Earlier, Cabinet Secretary, Dr Roger Luncheon had stated that the action was taken because certain expectations were not met. Questioned about government’s hold up of the projects in parliament, once again, Singh would only say that concerns were not related to particular projects or communities.
He said at the time that the agreement between the EU and the government had a number of conditions attached to it and it had come to the government’s awareness that “some expectations have not been met”. Asked whether government was providing any money to be disbursed for the project, he had answered in the negative.
The original deadline for the tapping of the EU funds was in August but there had been an extension. Under the programme, which began in 2005, groups are invited to submit proposals for funding on micro projects.
