The billion-dollar D’Urban Park project is not seen as a priority for the new PPP/C administration.
Public Works Minister Juan Edghill in a recent telephone interview told Stabroek News that there has not been any discussion on the future of the recreational area which was controversially created under the APNU+AFC government.
D’Urban Park, which was dubbed the “Green Zone Recreational Park,” was created to host activities for Guyana’s 50th anniversary celebrations in 2016 and has since attracted major controversy and required expensive remedial work. Asked if there has been any discussion or briefing provided to him on the development plans for D’Urban Park since taking up office, Edghill responded in the negative.
He said “D’Urban Park is not [regarded] as a developmental project that will see transformational development. The future of the park will have to be discussed and determined by Cabinet.”
The construction and development of the project started under Homestretch Development Inc (HDI) just after APNU+AFC took office in May 2015.
APNU+AFC’s Larry London was linked to the project and was the owner of the HDI, the company that started preparatory works.From all indications, HDI, through donations both from local persons and those in the diaspora, commenced work at the site in September, 2015, about two months before government officially announced what was happening there.
Over $1.3 billion has been spent on the project – a large parade ground with wooden stands – and despite this, the National Assembly has been asked to approve millions in extra-budgetary spending to meet additional costs. With suspected financial irregularities the Audit Office of Guyana in early 2017 launched a probe into the controversial spending on the project.
The preliminary findings were included in the 2017 Auditor General’s (AG) report on the public accounts of Guyana. In the latest AG’s report for the fiscal year ending 31 December 2018, it was noted that on March 11, 2019, the Audit Office made a request to the Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MPI) for additional documentation for the project. “Some documents have since been submitted to the Audit Office. At the time of reporting in September 2019, the Audit Office was perusing the said documents,” the report said. The 2018 report, which was presented to Speaker of the National Assembly Dr Barton Scotland on September 30th 2019, was not laid in the Assembly prior to its dissolution. However, a copy has been seen by Stabroek News.
The latest AG report provides a summary of findings of the investigation and as previously reported, said that up to December 31st, 2017, amounts totalling almost $1.150 billion were spent on the project. The report reiterated that payment vouchers to support expenditure totalling $107.119 million were not produced for audit examination while there is no evidence of checks on works for which the private company that started the project, HDI, was given half a billion.
