Dear Editor,
Thanks for your news report on the GPL conflict of interest (May 1). This adds to so many others. These COI were not imagined when the new government was sworn in nine months ago. The more things change, the more they remain the same or repeat themselves. The government must pull up its socks or it will soon be known by the moniker “conflict of interest government” because of the personnel sitting on boards with ties to private companies bidding for contracts. Shouldn’t there be an investigation of other Ministries and Boards to weed out conflict of interests and eliminate corruption?
Is it appropriate for a Minister’s children to become contractors and responding to emergency (no bid) works? Is it appropriate for the Chairman of a Board to be on the payroll of a private company that bids for contracts supplying excavators and equipment for DNI works and cleaning drains? Aren’t these examples a conflict of interest? Shouldn’t these also be addressed? Shouldn’t the Minister, Chair, and Directors of all Boards or Ministries with conflicts of interests be removed as was done at GuyOil pending an investigation? When will government recruit individuals who have a track record of honesty and integrity? In looking around, there are so many individuals with a history of allegations of corruption. Why are they back?
Sincerely,
Dharmendra Lalji
