Only $15M spent from Region 6 $260M budget

[www.inewsguyana.com] – Chairman of Region 6 (East Berbice Corentyne), David Armogan has revealed that only $15 million has been spent in capital works from the $260 Million allocated to the region.

The announcement was made at a recent press conference held by the Chairman in the Regional Democratic Council Boardroom.

“It is already the first week of November and we only have like 6-7 weeks more in the year and we have only paid out $15 M out of the $260 million the region received for capital works,” Armogan announced.

According to Armogan, he is concerned that majority of the allocated funds would be returned as automatic savings to the treasury and residents of the region would lose out.

“I am very worried at this [state in time] that the money that is allocated, the $260M would not be spent and the people in the region would lose out. This money is for developmental purposes … the people would not get their benefits,” Armogan declared.

The Regional Chairman stated that this is the first time the region would be placed in a position where they would not be able to execute the allocated funds. He noted that in the past years around this time, they would have exhausted the allocated sum and would have looked for additional funding.

When pressed if the estimated 6% spent is as a result of the late budget, Armogan said no, but it is a result of “slothful movement of the tender system we have here (in the region)”.

The Chairman said that the Regional Executive Officer, Dr. Veerasammy Ramayya, who heads the Tender Board, is not working fast enough to award the contracts to ensure that capital projects are undertaken.

Councillors of the People’s Progressive Party sitting on the Region 6 Regional Democratic Council moved a no confidence motion against Dr Ramayya recently.

The motion was filed on the grounds that Dr Ramayya does not have the minimum pre requisite academic qualifications; his appointment was a political one; has no experience in accounting, management or finance which are necessary for functioning in the post; does not observe protocols and deliberately usurps the functions of the elected officials of the region and breaches the rules by absenting himself without leave or excuse, being frequently late and leaving office before the scheduled departure time without any communication to his superiors.

The motion was brought to the RDC monthly statutory meeting by PPP/C councilor, Haseef Yusuf on November 05.