Local activist Jonathan Yearwood has written, for a second time, to Commissioner of Information Charles Ramson SC seeking a copy of the contract(s) entered into by the Ministry of Housing and Impressions Inc relating to the International Building Expo.
Additionally, he has also submitted a letter requesting access to the contracts entered into between Impressions Inc and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport for branding services for the ongoing Guyana Cricket Carnival. The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport is headed by Ramson Snr’s son, Charles Ramson Jr.
In his follow-up to Ramson Snr, Yearwood said that he has written to Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal since July 18 requesting the documents but is yet to receive an acknowledgement or response.
“I wish to humbly attach another request for access to and copy of the contract(s) that the Ministry would have entered into with Impressions (also known as Impressions Branding) as relating to and relevant with the International Building Expo 2022… However, the referred Expo is now over and I wish to reiterate the need for the information requested, I stand ready to correct and make any change necessary to make this application meet the statutory requirements and hereby beg your kind consideration for a waiver of fees that could be due in this request,” he said in his letter.
Yearwood, who initially wrote to Ramson Snr requesting the documents, was instructed by the Commissioner to write Minister of Housing Croal for the information. He has since done so but has not received any update from the Ministry.
On July 15, Yearwood wrote to the Commissioner of Information and made a request for the documents following questions that were raised about the partnership between the Ministry and Impressions.
On July 15, Stabroek News reported that Impressions Inc appeared to be the sole company of its kind selected to organise and run the ongoing International Building Expo at the Providence Stadium. Croal previously told this publication that Impressions was not running the Expo, but that the ministry had set up a Secretariat within the company’s building to deal with members of the public who were interested in being a part of the Expo. He cited a lack of space at the ministry for this arrangement.
However, when Stabroek News visited Impressions’ office to take a photograph of the Secretariat, it was told that the owner, Patrick `Neal’ Sukhlal, had to give permission for it to do so. A staff member said that Sukhlal was responsible for the Secretariat. Also on the Building Expo website, Impressions’ email and phone number were listed as contacts. A call to the number listed verified information that Impressions was responsible for organizing and running the Building Expo. The company is the one that exhibitors had to contact to acquire and pay for a spot.
In response to that report, Yearwood wrote to Ramson Snr asking for copies of the relevant contracts and associated documents. In his application, Yearwood listed a number of concerns he has in relation to the arrangement between the Ministry and Impressions
He submitted that vast sums of money are being collected and processed by a private company on behalf of a government Ministry and questioned whether the company will be utilizing its private bank account to receive and use the government’s finances.
“Given that it is a private company, Government expenses will be paid for utilizing the Company’s cash and bank accounts [and] official expenses on behalf of the Government could be paid through a private entity’s account. The requirements of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act of Guyana could be bypassed. We are concerned that the Company could or would report large receipts and or payments from circumstances and transactions described by the Act,” Yearwood’s application stated.
He also questioned the fees being charged by the company for the services that were provided.
Premium packages for spots at the Building Expo were listed at $8 million, Gold packages at $5 million and Silver at $3 million. Other smaller packages were listed at $1 million, $500,000, $450,000, $380,000, $200,000, $120,000, $60,000, with the cheapest being $15,000 for a table space.
Guyana Cricket Carnival
Impressions has also been given the contract to do branding for the ongoing Guyana Cricket Carnival. It is unclear whether a similar arrangement to that with the Ministry of Housing, has been established with the Ministry of Sport and Impressions.
Several calls to Minister Ramson Jr’s phone went unanswered.
In his letter requesting information from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Yearwood wrote “We have scoured the newspapers and the website of the National Tender Board and have found no evidence of an invitation for a bid to provide these services. With reference to the Access to Information Act 2011, we hereby request access to contracts, payments and agreements relating to the One Guyana Festival being hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.”
That letter was submitted on September 19.
Yearwood said that he is still awaiting a response from Ramson Snr.
