City Engineer Colvern Venture on Thursday said his Department is being hindered in the performance of its duties by the inability of the city’s Finance Department to procure needed material, which has been stalling critical works.
His comments came in wake of criticism by Mayor Ubraj Narine, who on Wednesday voiced his disappointment with the City Engineer’s Department after the Works Ministry intervened to replace a broken valve that contributed to flooding in the Stabroek Market area.
Narine noted that Venture’s Department had been instructed to replace the valve.
However, in an interview with Stabroek News, Venture explained that attempts were made twice to procure the valve but his requisitions went unanswered.
Venture stated that on December 13th, 2019, he forwarded a requisition to the Finance Department but received no answer. At the time, he noted, an amount of $88,833 would have remedied the situation if his requisition was acted upon. On June 3rd, 2020, he added, another requisition was forwarded concerning the valve but to date there has been no response. By that time, he said, the suppliers’ price had increased to almost a $200,000.
Venture added that while it is his task to inform the responsible department of the materials needed, it is the Finance Department’s job to purchase and supply the necessities to the varying departments.
Venture further disclosed that materials requisitioned have not been forthcoming from the Finance Department. He mentioned receiving a memo from the workshop manager, who informed him that they were out of engine oil, which is used to properly service the council’s garbage trucks and other vehicles.
He added that he was also informed that the workshop is also out of Number 68 hydraulic oil, which he disclosed is a critical oil used on the pumps and excavators. He mentioned that an excavator is already down, while the Liliendaal pump can be affected.
He said with the shortage of the supplies in the system, a lot of vehicles and equipment are down resulting in his department being unable to carry out some of its tasks.
He noted that while the mayor is casting blame on the Engineer Department for not executing its work, reports are made at various meetings and to the Town Clerk highlighting the prevalent issues.
Venture further emphasised that the Engineer’s Department can only execute work when it is given the materials, tools and the requisite items. In the absence of that, he added, there is nothing much that can be done but to wait on the Finance Department to purchase the items needed to get the job done.
He noted that a list of requisitions, dating from January to present and still to be honoured, has been sent to the Finance Department.
Meanwhile a source told this newspaper that the Finance Department’s inability to procure the supplies might stem from the councils lack of finance.
Mayor Narine has issued an appeal to businesses and government agencies to honour their debts to City Hall so that it can properly function.
