President Donald Ramotar has said that claims of government corruption are overstated, while defending the PPP/C’s record of tackling the situation during its two decades in office. Ramotar made the statements during an interview with the National Communications Network, according to the Government Information Agency (GINA).
The government has never been oblivious to the fact that corruption exists in all strata of society, GINA reported Ramotar as saying, even as he defended the PPP/C’s record of pursuing efforts to tackle the corruption scourge since taking office in 1992.
Ramotar acknowledged recently that there are situations where officials in high places use positions of influence to frustrate persons conducting legitimate business but he told the NCN that the PPP/C’s efforts to promote transparency and accountability are “unparalleled” by any other government.
“We are the ones who put in place a bidding system. There was never a bidding system before we came into office,” he was quoted as saying, in reference to the public procurement system.
The award of contracts is often the premise on which the opposition point fingers at the government on allegations of corruption even though there have been many attempts to explain how the system works, GINA stated.
Cabinet is restricted to a “no objection” but can request a re-appraisal at the level of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), which advances the recommendations, GINA added. Contractors and suppliers of goods and services now feel compelled to tighten their belts, the release stated. This is after President Ramotar recently called for improvements as regards those at fault or penalties for delays, overruns and variations that are costing the government taxpayers’ money.
He expressed belief that design engineers, consultants, supervisors and other aides who are integral to the process should also pay for negligence and called on the Attorney General and the Ministry of Finance to facilitate the necessary amendments that will make such a law applicable.
Residents who feel dissatisfied with the quality of work undertaken in their area should also obtain and peruse clauses in the contract, the President stated. He expressed belief that those stakeholders, the populace, should ensure that money spent is money well deserved.
GINA stated that the government earlier this year moved to terminate the contract awarded to Synergy Holdings for construction of the access road for the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project after the company , which is owned by Fip” Motilall failed to honour one of the terms of a completion agreement.
