Opposition MP defends APNU+AFC’s controversial Durban Park project

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Opposition Member of Parliament Nima Flue-Bess

Though it is shrouded in controversy, Opposition Member of Parliament Nima Flue-Bess on Tuesday defended the $1B Durban Park project which was executed under the previous APNU+AFC Government.

The former Government was embroiled in controversy over the Durban Park project.

One controversy was the fact that a Government Minister, then Education Minister Dr Rupert Roopnarine, was one of the Directors of special purpose company Homestretch Development Incorporated (HDI), an entity that collected money from secret donors to finance the construction of the park and another controversy was the fact that for years, the Audit Office of Guyana has been unable to audit the project properly owing to missing documents.

But during the Budget Debate, the Opposition Parliamentarian sought to ridicule government members for being critical of the project.

“I come into this House from since 2020 and all these Honourable Members on that side of the House would talk up about ‘Durban Park, Durban Park’, all they’re focusing on is the money,” Flue-Bess said.

She said the project should be celebrated for its historical significance, especially since it was created for the purposes of observing Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary.

“But what is the historical significance of Durban Park? Durban Park is located at the area where you have the Independence Arch, Durban Park is located at the area where you have the square of the revolution, Durban Park is located in the area where you have the Office of the President, Durban Park is located in the area where you have the Botanical Gardens, Durban Park is located in the area where you have the National Cultural Center,” she stated.

A special audit by the Audit Office was conducted into the Durban Park Project since 2018, finding that $1.1 billion was spent on the project. Even then, payment vouchers to account for how millions were spent were not provided to the auditors.

There is also the matter of the $500 million paid by the former APNU+AFC Government to the special purpose company. This money was supposed to allow the company to clear its debts. According to the Audit Office, however, there was a stark lack of transparency in how this money was used.

Today, Durban Park is a vastly underutilised structure with aging wooden beams supporting wooden stands. As a matter of fact, the facility has been used by vagrants as a nightly refuge for years.

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