The Board of Directors of the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) says that it wholly endorses the appointment of Karan Singh as Managing Director of the company, and intends to work with him on achieving the objectives of GWI as it needs an individual of his calibre at this time to lead the company from its present circumstances.
The Board stated in a press release that the appointment was carried made “through a fully transparent and equitable process as enshrined in GWI’s employment policy as well as the procurement guidelines of the international funding agencies.”
According to the release, the Board stated its rejection of “any insinuations about the appointment of Karan Singh as Managing Director of the company as purported in the press against the management. The assertions being made by the main opposition the People’s National Congress Reform and published in both Kaieteur and Stabroek News levelled against the Board’s appointment of Mr Karan Singh is deemed malicious and baseless.”
The position of Managing Director, the release said, became vacant in February 2007 after the Board had terminated the management contract of UK-based firm Severn Trent.
Subsequently advertisements to this effect were placed in the daily newspapers for suitable candidates to fill the vacancy, and applications were received from both local and foreign individuals. Singh’s application was one received, the release added.
The release said that as part of the company’s procedure the Board had requested an investigation into the candidate’s background which yielded no contentions.
Singh’s track record during his tenure at the Guyana Water Authority, the release said, indicated that the company performed exceptionally well, and it was against this backdrop that the way was paved for his appointment.
It is noteworthy, the release noted, that Singh’s contract was not terminated with GUYWA but was not renewed to facilitate the transition of management to the UK Department for International Development-funded company, Severn Trent.
“The Board therefore contends that the allegations against Mr Singh are attempts at character assassination and to deflect from GWI’s and the Board’s vision to propel the company’s growth,” the release added.
The questions over Singh’s appointment prompted a recent joint statement from the Inter-American Development Bank, DfID and the World Bank saying they had neither contested nor endorsed Singh’s appointment as this was a matter for the government and the board of GWI.
