When the 11th Parliament meets for its 45th sitting this Friday the government side of the house will be called on to inform the public about all aspects of the D’Urban Park Development Project.
A motion in the name of PPP/C MP Juan Edghill is calling for the government—in the interest of public accountability, transparency and good governance—to make a full disclosure of the costs, individuals and private organizations which were involved in the project from its inception to the April takeover by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure. The motion is also asking the government to provide details as to the future of the space.
In April, the Ministry of the Presidency had announced that the project, which had previously been executed by the Ministry of the Presidency through the National Commemoration Commission, was being transferred to the stewardship of Ministry of Public Infrastructure David Patterson. Before that decision, the project had generated criticism due to the lack of transparency in its management and particularly after evidence of substandard works on the stands surfaced in the public.
Several of these publicly expressed concerns are recorded in the preamble of the motion, which states that the National Assembly was informed that the project would be funded by private individuals through an unnamed private organization but that Minister of Public Infrastructure was unable when questioned in the Assembly to provide final costs of the project. Nor was information on the funds raised and materials donated prior to his April takeover furnished.
It also notes that there were no public disclosures or consultation with citizens or national stakeholders as it relates to this project nor were any architectural designs and overall projected costs for its construction and completion made public
Patterson had revealed in the house on August 8 that $150 million provided from the Contingencies Fund completed Phase 1 of the project. At that time the minister was defending a request in the Supplementary Financial Paper No 1 of 2016 for an additional $407.6 million from the Contingencies Fund for the project.
Additionally, the 2015 Auditor General’s report stated that $36.509 million from the Lotto Fund went towards the rehabilitation of D’Urban Park without parliamentary approval.
Edghill’s motion calls for the government to lay in the assembly the name of the donors and their contributions in cash and/or kind to the initial phase and completion of the project; whether any and which of these contributions were submitted to the Consolidated Fund; the list of contractor/s and the process of procurement used to secure those engaged; the budgeted and actual costs for every phase of the project completed and a projected final cost for the overall project; payments made to individuals, contractors and companies as it relates to this project as well as liabilities, if any, to individuals, contractors and companies that are owed for works and services provided to this project.
He further requires that the government inform the assembly which agency has been assigned responsibility for the day-to-day management of the facility; the recurrent cost for the maintenance, security, utilities and all other expenditure as it relates to the operation of this facility per annum; and plans for sustainable use of this facility.
