Dear Editor,
This response refers to the concerns raised in the letter to the editor titled ‘Rupununi residents who worked for GECOM last year still awaiting payment’ which was published in the Stabroek News of May 9, 2009.
Internal investigations have confirmed that the motorcycles were hired as claimed in the letter and that the payments are outstanding. Motorcycles were hired from two persons.
GECOM, as a budget agency, is required to conduct accounting transactions as stipulated by the Ministry of Finance. Accordingly, GECOM cannot make payment(s) without an invoice or request for payment from the persons whose motorcycles were hired.
The GECOM Registration Officer for the Lethem Area Registration Office has explained that she has repeatedly requested of one of the persons in question to submit a claim for payment. The other person located at a deep interior location has not been in contact with GECOM for quite some time now. The Registration Officer at Lethem has left repeated messages with his daughter for him to submit a claim for payment. This was never done by either person.
It must be emphasized that unless the concerned persons submit claims for payment, GECOM will remain unable to take steps towards ensuring that the outstanding accounts are settled.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Persaud
Public Relations Officer
GECOM
