Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Guyana Geology & Mines Commission (GGMC) Major General (ret’d) Joe Singh has stated that from the Board’s perspective, Karen Livan remains responsible for executing the responsibilities of GGMC Commissioner and she is not being marginalized.
President of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) Patrick Yarde on Tuesday condemned Minister of Natural Resources & the Environment, Robert Persaud for his public dressing down of Commissioner Karen Livan and accused him of trying to undermine her.
Singh stated in a release regarding matters raised at the GPSU press conference on Tuesday that “…far from any suggestion of marginalizing her, the Board is committed to supporting her as she grapples with challenging responsibilities, effects closure on the outstanding issues and ensures a smooth transition as she proceeds into retirement later this year.”
The GGMC Chairman also noted that several issues remained outstanding for GGMC, and which were raised by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Joslyn McKenzie, in correspondence addressed to the Chairman, Board of Directors of the GGMC.
The several outstanding matters include failure by the Commission to prepare annual reports, lack of compliance with the National Procurement and Tender Administration Act, and failure to address in a timely manner, findings of the Auditor General.
There were also issues relating to the length of time the Commission took to complete assignments, and this category included effecting closure on complaints from miners; disciplinary action involving staff; recruitment and training; and, rehabilitation of infrastructure and procurement of assets for the Mining Districts.
Lack of compliance with statutory budgetary and accounting requirements because of unfamiliarity with same and the need for training and mentoring of staff in order to become compliant, was also an issue which required the board’s intervention and guidance for efficient resolution, the release stated.
“The Board agreed that the Commissioner and senior management of the Commission needed to review all of the outstanding issues and what needed to be done to effect closure on these matters.
The Commissioner was tasked with providing her responses to the issues as recorded in the Permanent Secretary’s letter and submitting same to the Chairman, indicating the timelines by when the actions would be completed and the persons who will be held accountable to her for completing the assignments.”
The Chairman said that Livan was given until midday Monday to answer but she requested an extension of time and this was granted and the submission received and acknowledged.
According to the release, members of the Board volunteered to assist the Commissioner and staff in “clarifying and formatting responses and this offer was taken up by the Commissioner.”
“At no time during the meeting was there any acrimonious exchange between the Commissioner and Board and indeed the Chairman voiced his empathy with the Commissioner in relation to those outstanding issues going back several years for which her predecessors in office ought to have been accountable.”
Singh said further that “discussions also took place on the process of leadership transitioning since it was not apparently a practice within the recent past for proper handover/takeover of responsibilities at the level of Commissioner and, given the complexity of the responsibilities devolving from the Office of Commissioner, the effective date of retirement of the current Commissioner and her pre-retirement leave, it was agreed that the transition process would commence with effect Monday, May 21, 2012.”
Moreover, it was further agreed that given the several outstanding issues that had to be completed by the Commissioner, “the Deputy Commissioners would be tasked with ensuring that the routine work of the Commission was managed efficiently but that the Commissioner would be kept informed, in keeping with her accountability and responsibility for the Commission,” the Chairman of the Board said.
However, the only concern raised by Livan was that there had been no discussion on her accumulated leave. This issue was subsequently addressed by the Permanent Secretary, Singh added.
At the press conference on Tuesday, Yarde accused Minister Persaud of taking his “eyes to pass” Livan and being “extremely disrespectful” to her.
He was at the time referring to Persaud’s public ridiculing of Livan at an interactive forum held with the Brazilian community following a claim by a miner that he was given permission by the GGMC to mine on a government reserve this year. Following this claim Persaud accused the GGMC of permitting lawlessness and addressed Livan by her first name at times as he reprimanded her.
It was later proven, however, that the miner had gotten the permission last October, not this year, and before Persaud had ordered the freezing of permits on state land to begin in December of last year.
