A drug bond is to be built at Paradise, East Coast Demerara with monies allocated in the 2017 budget for Region Four, Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan said last evening even as he shrugged off remarks from the parliamentary opposition that this is nothing more than an attempted solution to the raging Sussex Street bond controversy.
Bulkan revealed that out of the $56.2 M allocated for “Buildings”, $7.6 M is to be spent to construct the bond which will “store small quantities of pharmaceuticals”. The minister provided this information in response to questions from opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira.
Teixeira after quoting the figure from the estimates asked whether this will be a pharmacy bond and also inquired about its size and the cost to have it built.
While Bulkan provided information on the cost and purpose of the bond, he said nothing about the size. This prompted Teixeira to repeat her question. “Is it 200 square feet, 500 square feet…6000 square feet?” she queried.
Bulkan responded saying that the dimensions of the bond would be provided subsequently.
Following his answer Teixeira remarked “I am sure the honourable member knows why I am asking, because $7.6 M for a bond versus ($) 12.4(m) rental is a big (difference)…and maybe Region Four could be the host of the drug bond instead of Sussex Street. So I am asking you sir if it is approximately 3000 square feet then the government has found an answer to …(the) Sussex Street bond”.
When it was pointed out by the Speaker of the National Assembly Dr. Barton Scotland that he had not replied to Teixeira’s question, Bulkan said that he wasn’t aware that a question had been asked and that he felt it was more of a commentary. Told by the Speaker that it was a question, Bulkan responded “the answer is I would say hardly sir”. Bulkan’s answer was met with some laughter and exchanges between MPs.
The deal with businessman Larry Singh to rent the Sussex Street building for use as a bond was said to have been initiated by the APNU+AFC government because extra storage capacity for drugs was needed. This was despite that fact that a government bond existed at Diamond on the East Bank where more pharmaceuticals could be stored.
Singh had never run a bond storage operation before and critics said the deal appeared to be a sweetheart arrangement to give business to a PNCR supporter. There have been many questions as to how Singh was chosen given the fact that there was no public tendering for the bond that government is paying a monthly rent of $12.5M for.
A Cabinet subcommittee was convened in September this year and it agreed that the bond deal was “undoubtedly undesirable” and a variety of options should be considered including shortening of the lease.
The matter came up in Parliament last week and subsequently prompted a team comprising of members of both sides of the House and Parliament staff to visit the location after opposition member Anil Nandlall told the House that “not a tablet is being stored” there. Health Minister Dr. George Norton asked Nandlall to withdraw the statement as it was not true. The visit to the bond proved that no tablets were being stored in the building. The Speaker was to review the exchanges in parliament on this matter.
Fielding
Yesterday, after more than an hour of fielding questions from the opposition, the $5.8 Billion set aside for Region Four was approved. Prior to the revelation about the construction of the bond at Paradise, Teixeira had pointed out that in the 2016 budget $37.5 million was approved for the construction of buildings but only $31.9M was sent.
When asked to explain Bulkan said that he was advised that the shortfall occurred with the construction of a health centre in Eccles. “The initial location that was provided was deemed to be unsuitable and by the time a suitable location was determined it had resulted in a delay of the construction of that particular health centre and it resulted in only the mobilization fees were disbursed in 2016 so it will result in a roll over to 2017”, he explained.
Bulkan responding to questions regarding education delivery told the House that money has been allocated for the purchase of an enclosed canter vehicle for the transport of books and juice and biscuit for the school feeding programme; furniture and for repairs to several schools throughout the region.
He said that solar systems will be used at Dora Primary, Susannah’s Rust and St. Cuthbert’s Primary and key boards and drum sets will be purchased for use at Peter’s Hall Primary, Golden Grove Primary and Diamond Secondary which is “designed to promote the musical ability of our students”, he said to loud applause from his colleagues.
Opposition MP Harry Gill enquired about flooding in Region Five. He asked the minister to explain why the purchase of a 4×4 vehicle was more important than the excavator requested to help in the prevention of a further disaster. One government MP shouted “which line item” and this statement was clearly ignored as the Speaker called on the Minister to answer.
Bulkan in his response said that the Regional Executive Officer, Region Four does not currently have a vehicle of his own which will allow for the proper execution of his duties; hence the need for the purchase of one. “It is deemed to be necessary that the REO has a vehicle”, he said while adding that he shares the same concern about the flooding and the excavator but “it is principally a responsibility of the NDIA”.
Clearly not satisfied, Gill pressed on. He was stopped however by the Speaker who said that he needed to hear a line item if the House was going to progress.
Gill complied with the Speaker’s request and later said that both the REO and the Minister are aware that two excavators have been requested from the Ministry to prevent flooding in Region Five.
The government MPs clearly not in favour of him speaking, started to grumble and the Speaker later interjected saying that what Gill was embarking on is for a debate which has already occurred.
Gill then asked the Minister to state when Region Five will have an excavator to alleviate flooding. After seeking some clarifications from Minister of Public Works David Patterson who was seated nearby, Bulkan said that a task force comprising the NDIA, Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder, Patterson, himself and persons from other agencies met on Tuesday in the Committee Room at Parliament Buildings.
With regards to Region Five, he said that the task force did a rreconnaissance the following day and later submitted a report which allows for repairs to the two pumps at Trafalgar as well as the loan of excavators.
