By Kurt Campbell
[www.inewsguyana.com] – Alliance for Change (AFC) General Secretary David Patterson was at a loss for words as he tried to comprehend how an entire Cabinet of 20 plus Ministers and other Government Officials, including the President could agree on a Memorandum of Understand (MOU) with a Company little is known of.
Government recently announced that it had signed a MOU, to set up a US$30 million recycling plant in Guyana but did not immediately disclose the name of the company, noting only that it operates out of Canada.
It was later learnt that the name of the company was Natural Globe Inc headed by Mohamed Osman, but this is all that anyone seems to know about this company.
Quite to the contrary, Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon had said that the company was ‘number one ranked’.
On Thursday, November 14 at the party’s weekly press briefing, the AFC General Secretary in an attempt to weigh in on the controversy said the situation is Déjà vu.
“It has happened before; we have seen it with Fip Motilall … we have had such on several occasions” he explained, adding that “I can’t believe this agreement got the blessing of the entire cabinet.”
Patterson added that this is a glaring example of what the Government can do if it’s no objection in the awarding of contacts is not removed.
He used the occasion to once again call for the immediate establishment of the Public Procurement Commission and reiterates his party’s non- support for a place of any Administration in the procurement process.
Government seems to be steadfast in its position to maintain its input in the awarding of contracts, and has tabled an amendment in the National Assembly to ensure same even as it has committed to the establishment of the commission.
Dr. Luncheon had said the recycling activity will take place at the Haag Bosch Sanitary landfill site. Meanwhile, the Government spokesperson also noted that the Solid Waste Management Act will be tabled in the National Assembly before the end of 2013.
According to Dr. Luncheon, the act seeks to establish a body that will be responsible for overseeing all of the solid waste management functions in Guyana. The body will set out certain standards that waste management companies will have to adhere to. The protection of the environment will also be embedded in the act.
