Dear Editor,
As the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) gets depleted during every new budget process and contracts for infrastructure projects increase beyond the capacity of the Ministry’s monitoring agencies the wasteful spending becomes more evident. The recent meeting between embattled Minister Edghill and “four hundred contractors” paints a clear picture that shows how wasteful government spending has become. The works being carried out are subpar, poorly executed, poorly planned, and poorly monitored. And the worst of it is that given the pending drainage issues these projects are also premature.
The first step in the process should be to design the runoff system for the expected future volume of water and then design the drainage or canal / gutter/ trench system to carry that water away. Given the large number of mature trees involved in the current system, enlisting the expertise of arborists will be necessary. Once the design has been digitally modeled and system issues identified and resolved in the design then public information sessions should be held where the proposed solution is shared and public input is provided. After the design is finalized and accepted by the public the process should then be aligned to start with the road construction / road improvement plans. This is critical due to the road runoff design being a primary driver of the overall runoff system design. Only then should the bidding process begin for experienced and qualified contractors. If the Ministry plans to develop local and new contractors for this work, a subcontractor / apprentice programme should be developed where newcomers are allowed to work with the experienced contractors to gain the needed experience to carry out the work on their own in the future.
These transformational infrastructure projects should be done in a measured manner that is integrated and coordinated to ensure that the overall system functions as designed, and inspectors are on site and approving each key stage of the project. We must slow down and do things correctly. Otherwise, the public outrage and the Minister’s concerns over poor workmanship will continue. Thus, leaving the country without value for money in our efforts to transform the country. Unfortunately, the evidence points to an increase in poorly designed infrastructural work being completed below accepted standards that will result in premature deterioration, which will require more funds for rework in the near future. This will result in the unnecessary further depletion of the Natural Resource Fund. We can avoid this cycle of wasteful spending by simply ensuring a good system design process, reducing the number of projects, improving the quality of the lead contractors, and ensuring a transparent sign off process that holds contractors accountable in a timely manner to prevent poor workmanship from advancing further. It is CRG’s hope that the Minister and the larger Ali Administration will take this recommendation seriously.
Sincerely,
Mr. Jamil Changlee
Chairman
The Cooperative Republicans of Guyana
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