AFC Region Three councillor, Harry Narine Deokinanan says that there is no opposition representative on the Region’s Tender Board and as a result contracts cannot be scrutinized at the time of the award and this has led to the “corruption” now being seen.
Deokinanan, in speaking about this recently, had said that a number of PPP councillors on the Regional Democratic Council have themselves or their children, been awarded contracts worth millions to construct minor roads and clean trenches and this is against the Code of Conduct that governs these contracts. Region Three Chairman, Julius Faerber could not be reached for comment last week despite several attempts. When contacted several days earlier, he had said that he would respond in a letter to the newspapers on the same matter.
“I think the president should allow opposition members to be part of the tender board and if we are on the tender board, we can see who is awarding these contracts and stop this corruption,” Deokinanan told Stabroek News last week. He had pointed out that he brought the matter up at the last RDC statutory meeting charging that the awarding of contracts was filled with bias and conflict of interest and according to him, there were no denials by those he named. However, he said that Faerber said that PPP councillors and/or their children have a right to be awarded contracts within the region.
The AFC councillor said that when he produced the code of conduct, he was condemned for raising the issue. He said that the specific rule with regards to contracts is in the ‘Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development Orientation Training for Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and Councillors of the Regional Democratic Council’ booklet.
The applicable rules, he said are on pages 27 and 29 and reads: “You should act solely in the public interest. You should never use your position as a councillor to gain for yourself, your family or your friends, any financial benefits, preferential treatment or other advantage, or to confer such benefits, treatment or advantage improperly on others. You should not put yourself in a position where your integrity is called into question by any financial or other obligation. You should avoid any appearance of it.”
On page 29: “Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest. They should not do so in order to gain financial or material benefit for themselves, their family or their friends.”
Mechanism
When contacted, Chairman of the opposition coalition, APNU, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine said that no councillor should sit on the body awarding a contract that close relations have bid on. “I think that the rules as they exist stipulate that a relation of a councillor can be awarded a contract but the councillor cannot be a part of the mechanism that awards the contract,” he said.
He referred to the Chapter 28:01 of the Municipal and District Council Act. Section 70 (1) states: “If any councillor has any pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, in any contract (which in this section shall include a proposed contract) or other matter, and is present at a meeting of a council or committee at which the contract or other matter is the subject of consideration, he shall, at the meeting as soon as practicable after the commencement thereof, disclose the fact, and shall not take part in the consideration or discussion of, or vote on any question with respect to, the contract or other matter.”
It adds that the section “shall not apply to an interest in a contract or other matter which a councillor may have as a ratepayer or inhabitant of the council area, or as an ordinary consumer of electricity or water, or to an interest in any matter relating to the terms on which the right to participate in any service including the supply of goods, is offered to the public.”
Deokinanan had identified one councillor who he said was awarded contracts to clean trenches and other works. This official last year was awarded a $3.9 million contract to repair a bridge leading to the Leonora Primary School and residents had been shocked at the work that was done. It was reported at the time that the councillor was awarded the contract without any public tendering even though the sum was above the $600,000 ceiling at which point such projects are expected to be put up for public tendering.
Deokinanan said that contracts were awarded to PPP officials or their relatives in the areas of minor road repairs, the building of school toilets, and school repairs among other projects. “They award it to their friends, family and PPP colleagues,” he charged.
The AFC councillor is on the Region’s Works Committee and he said that he is no longer being given the Bill of Quantity anymore as was previously the case. He said that usually everyone on the Works Committee is given a copy of the Bill of Quantity. Deokinanan joined the RDC earlier this year. “They tell me if I want the Bill of Quantity, I have to pay for it,” he said. “I’m on the Works Committee but they don’t call me anymore to go and visit the sites, see how the work is doing and sign the final document so that the contractor can get the final payment,” he added.
Deokinanan said that he has raised these conflict of interest issues on several occasions. “We’re seeing them doing the contract…but we can’t get them on record because they don’t give us the record anymore,” he added. “These guys are misusing a lot of funds but no one is saying anything because this is a PPP region,” he added.
