Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan says the call by former Auditor-General Anand Goolsarran for City Hall to rescind the contentious contract for the installation and operation of parking meters in Georgetown should be heeded immediately.
“Mr. Goolsarran’s standing on such matters is unquestionable and his advice should be heeded by the proponents of the contract at City Hall post-haste,” Duncan told Stabroek News yesterday in an invited comment.
Goolsarran, in his Accountability Watch column published in Monday’s Stabroek News, pointed out that that procurement laws were not followed in the signing of the deal between the city and National Parking Systems (NPS)/Smart City Solutions (SCS). He cited Section 231 of the Municipal and District Councils Act, which states that before entering into any contract for the execution of any work or the supply of any goods to the value of $250,000, or more, a council is required to give notice of such proposed contract and “shall by such notice invite any person willing to undertake the same to submit a sealed tender thereof to the council….”
Duncan added that he is not averse to investment that generates much-needed funds for the city but he felt that in the current instance “the end does not justify the means” and he suggested that a judicial review of the contract would conclusively establish “illegality,” “irrationality” and “procedural impropriety.”
Duncan is one of several councillors who have said the project should have been publicly tendered to ensure transparency and accountability.
When Stabroek News invited Mayor Patricia Chase-Green and Town Clerk Royston King, who are proponents of the project, to comment yesterday, they both declined. They said that the contract is currently being reviewed by the Attorney General’s Chambers and opted not to comment at this point. Chase-Green added that she is not obligated to respond to every critic’s comment.
Chase-Green had previously noted that the previous council did not find a substantial reason to tender the project since they it was not investing any capital into the project. Chairman of the city’s Finance Committee Oscar Clarke has also indicated same when asked why there was no public tendering for the project.
Meanwhile, although the contract is under review, NPS and SCS have been demonstrating the proposed meter to city residents over the past week, signaling some optimism that they would receive the green light to proceed.
To date, there has not been a set rate per rotation, according to the Chase-Green and NPS Chairman Ifa Kamau Cush, although they both say it would be less than $500 per hour.
