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All Government contracts valued in excess of $1 billion will soon come under scrutiny. The Alliance For Change (AFC) is demanding the names of all beneficiaries of such contracts and the circumstances under which they were awarded.This was revealed yesterday by Chairman Nigel Hughes,Tyson Jackson Falcons Jersey, during the party’s weekly press conference at the Sidewalk Café in Middle Street, Georgetown. He made those remarks in light of recent utterances by Ralph Ramkarran, former Speaker of the National Assembly, former Executive member of the PPP/C and a columnist, in an article entitled “Guyana will soon qualify as ‘Kleptocratic Republic’”.Nigel HughesAccording to Hughes, Guyana is in a state of national crisis, if one should pay heed to revelations by Ramkarran that only a select few are awarded contracts. He said that AFC’s worst fears have been confirmed since the comment is coming from a person Government told the National Assembly is impartial. Hughes emphasized,LaDarius Gunter Packers Jersey, “Mr. Ramkarran S.C. disclosed that at the apex of corruption in Guyana is a group of wealthy and influential businessmen who have high political connections…They have access through their political connections, to information on potential opportunities that are likely to emerge in the near to medium term and are in a position to make investments now as to cash in on those opportunities down the road. The PPP leadership is supported and financed by all these groups and state decisions are influenced by their interests.”He added that the most egregious revelation made by Ramkarran was, “the reason why the Public Procurement Commission will never be established is that the PPP is a political organization that now represents a section of the petit bourgeoisie whose interests’ conflict with acceptable standards of integrity.” According to Hughes,New England Patriots Jerseys, about 90 percent of the population is not given opportunities for genuine investment. And, fair and equitable economic advancement are restricted to a small group of politically connected PPP/C businessmen.Only recently, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry in its Competitiveness Manifesto listed the absence of a Public Procurement Commission as one of the 20 barriers to competiveness in Guyana. And, according to Hughes, businesses should be able to tender for projects and compete on a level playing field.“The people, if they are not in the know,John Stallworth Steelers Jersey, they don’t have access to information upon which they can predicate their decisions that are in their best interests of the companies they represent.So even if you are in the business forum; if you are not one of the PPP’s special business group or well connected in Guyanese terms yuh cork duck,Ray Nitschke Packers Jersey,” he said.He said that Government’s position on the matter is the removal of their power to give no-objection to the awarding of contracts. Hughes said that the AFC is of the opinion that the time has come for Guyanese to stand up and increase their agitation for the immediate establishment of the Public Procurement Commission as a matter of national urgency.“Guyana can no longer tolerate or withstand a government which is bent on perpetuating the corrupt and biased distribution of the country’s wealth and opportunities for the benefit of a politically connected few,” he said.In fact, the party has used the establishment of the Public Procurement Commission among its criteria for the passage of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism legislation in the National Assembly.According to Hughes,Robert Alford Falcons Jersey, the AFC does not necessarily believe that the deadline for the legislation is August 26 but rather, November 2013. However,Mike Mitchell Steelers Jersey, if indeed the deadline is August 26, the AFC cannot predict that the Bill is “dead in the water”. “We can’t predict what will happen in parliament,Reggie White Packers Jersey, so for us to prophesy about the death of the Bill would be ambitious and inappropriate at this stage,John Hannah Patriots Jersey, but certainly where AFC support is concerned its prospects are marginal,” he said. |
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