Dear Editor,
As reported in the Guyana Chronicle on 05 May 2011, “Technical advisor to the Minister of Transport and Hydraulics, Walter Willis, . . . believes that if the two entities are sub-contracted and the work picks up further, then the August timeline for the opening of the road for light, four-wheeled drive vehicles seems possible.” What is the relevance of building a muddy track to Amaila Falls? The Government’s Request for Proposal in early 2010 called for an all-weather road for heavy traffic; 85 km of road rehabilitation; 110 km of new road; the whole 195 km of road, 20 metres wide, surfaced with a white-sand-clay base 300 mm thick topped by 150 mm of laterite, the whole compacted to 95 proctor; HDPE culverts, bridges and river-crossing pontoons capable of bearing 100 tonne loads, 20 tonnes per axle; 65 km x 100 metres wide completely cleared right-of-way for the transmission line; all to be completed within eight months/240 days from contract effectiveness date.
At a news conference on 23 March 2011, the CEO of Synergy Holdings Inc. said that – [in KN]
“As I get done…I submit the invoice to the Ministry of Public Works; it goes to the Ministry of Finance…I get paid.” (Kaieteur News, Wednesday 23 March 2011 – ‘Rains could affect August deadline – ‘Fip’ Motilall’ – http://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2011/03/23/rains-could-affect-august-deadline-%e2%80%98fip%e2%80%99-motilall/).
[in SN]
‘As I get done, I submit an invoice, Ministry of Public Works approves it, [and it] goes to the Ministry of Finance. I get paid,” (Stabroek News, Wednesday 23 March 2011 – ‘Weather stalling Amaila Falls road – Motilall’ – http://www.stabroeknews.com/2011/news/ stories/03/23/weather-stalling-amaila-falls-road-motilall/).
I queried such payment in my letter published by Kaieteur News on 24 March 2011 (‘The road to Amaila Falls – trick or treat?’ – http://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2011/03/24/the-road-to-amaila-falls-trick-or-treat/):
‘So, if I understand correctly, Synergy Holdings Inc. is being paid as if it were completing the road to full specification while it is actually only building a track suitable for 4WD access. Editor, could you ask the payment office of the Ministry of Finance, to clarify the story?’. No response has been published yet from the Ministry of Finance, so presumably a substantial fraud is indeed taking place? This is NICIL money, so derived ultimately from Guyana‘s taxpayers, not Norwegian taxpayers or Chinese bankers.
This can be checked, Editor, if you would take up the offer from the Synergy CEO: ‘Motilall told this newspaper [KN] yesterday that other media operatives have been seeking to get to go to the site and he said as was promised during a recent interview that the company will allow media operatives to visit the location’ (Kaieteur News, Wednesday 16 March 2011 – Motilall offers to take media on site of Amaila Falls road project – http://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2011/03/16/motilall-offers-to-take-media-on-site-of-amaila-falls-road-project/).
Please be sure that your journalists take a graduated rod with them to measure the thickness of the two compacted layers of the completed road at many different points along the allegedly completed 20 per cent plus of the 195 km of road line. And please can we have a good published photographic record of this visit.
Yours faithfully,
Janette Bulkan