The “ministerial plenary” which has been performing the duties of Cabinet since the start of the month has “noted” the award of six multi-million dollar contracts, State Minister Joseph Harmon said on Friday.
The contracts, which were disclosed by Harmon at a press conference at the Ministry of the Presidency, include one valued US$104,500, which was awarded to Dr. Michael Warner, a British local content expert and Founder and Director of the Local Content Solutions Limited.
Warner has been contracted to provide individual consultancy for local content in the oil and gas sector.
Last year, Warner delivered a presentation on Guyana’s draft local content policy at a forum Facilitated by DAI International Group, the company managing ExxonMobil’s Centre for Local Business Development (CLBD).
During that June, 2018 presentation, he had argued that the framework caters well for Guyanese but urged that citizens must “act swiftly to equip themselves to be globally competitive in the oil and gas field.”
At Friday’s press conference, Harmon who was asked about the terms of reference and scope of work under Warner’s contract and he promised to make the information public but up to press time this had not been done.
Also noted was the award of a contract to Memorex Enterprise for the rehabilitation of a pump station at Rose Hall, in Region Six, in the sum of $64,140,544; a contract to M. Sukhai Contracting Services for the construction of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority’s new building at the Cotton Field Compound, Essequibo Coast, in Region Two, for the sum of $39,479,550; and a contract to K. P. Thomas and Sons Contracting Incorporated for preparatory works for the Port Kaituma Hospital road, in Region One, for the sum of $21,833,790.
Additionally, the Ministry of Education has awarded a contract to Caribbean Engineering and Management Consultants Incorporated for the design and construction supervision services for Lot A – North West Secondary School Practical Instruction Department in Region One, and the Bartica Secondary School Practical Instruction Department, in Region Seven, for the sum of $114,010,500, while the Ministry of Communities has awarded a contract to Link Up Media for the construction of Smart Stops in nine municipalities for the sum of $18,199,236.
Meanwhile, the ‘plenary’ has also approved new boards for the National Data Management Authority (NDMA) and the VAT Appeal Tribunal.
The NDMA board will be chaired by Clement Henry and include Floyd Levi, Glenlandar Singh, Raymond Khan, Michael Griffith, Dr. Marcia Thomas, Cedella Ferrel, Jaswantie Ramuditt and Lance Hinds.
The new VAT Appeal Tribunal will comprise Ronald Burch-Smith as Chairman, Pamela Briggs, Nizam Ali, John Seeram and Trevor Bowen, who is now a new member. Harmon noted that the Opposition is still to identify its representative.
On Friday, Harmon said since acting Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire upheld the legality of the December 21st no-confidence vote against the government, Cabinet has not met but instead the plenary has been performing its functions.
He revealed that the plenary, which includes “all of the ministers,” is usually convened once per month.
Asked which law empowers a plenary to exercise the powers of Cabinet, Harmon maintained that the grouping drew its legitimacy from the powers of the President.
Asked if government’s decision to exercise executive powers through the “plenary” creates a “risk” that the actions of boards appointed in this manner and contracts noted can be delegitimised, Harmon said no.
