Region Two saves $147M in 2016
REO of Region Two, Rupert Hopkinson
REO of Region Two, Rupert Hopkinson

-due to responsible spending, minimising of corruption

REGIONAL Executive Officer (REO) of Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Rupert Hopkinson announced that the region saved $147M in 2016 through responsible spending and minimising of corruption.

He said this was done through the interception of vouchers. “If Region Two can find $147M, then the possibility exists that if we are to check and scrutinise the spendings of all the regions, the government can rake in over a billion dollars annually to do their work,” the REO said.

He said the saving was utilised to do new projects, while calling on the government to carry out a forensic audit in all the regions to ensure funds are properly spent.
“Previously when the money was not spent and when the end of the year comes along, the money is washed and spent on supplies that are not necessary and there are kickbacks and we have the evidence that from year to year taxpayers money was misused,” Hopkinson said.

Acknowledging that he has come under criticism for moving slowly with signing vouchers, Hopkinson said this is done in search of loopholes in the system.
“When I am told that there is a purchase of 347 bales of toilet paper for the education department, I am going to intercept that voucher and I am going to ask questions, when that happened and I asked questions I was told, REO, that was a mistake,” the REO said in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle.

He explained that many things that seem amiss are being personally investigated on his behalf since any signs of corruption will be examined. Hopkinson said that from 2013-2016 he has uncovered that there has been $20M in lumber being purchased annually over the three- year period, which was not used or needed.

“All our projects are contracted, contractors are the ones that buy the lumber, it’s not supposed to be the department, we have a small force unit that repairs steps and small works which do not need such purchases.” He explained, “I decided to go like a detective and inquire where the $20M in lumber supplies are coming from and going [to] and I found one supplier who had no lumber yard, he had no sawmill, but he simply buys from somebody else and supplies.”

Despite the criticisms, Hopkinson said he is prepared to face the challenges. He also called on the Ministry of the Presidency, which is in charge of the public service, to have a number of vacancies filled in the region that includes: Deputy Regional Executive Officer, Engineers, Regional Health Officer and several accounting positions.

Meanwhile, only recently President David Granger expressed optimism that with added production, coupled with its already immense agricultural production, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), has the potential to feed the entire country and the Caribbean. The region, he said, has been punching above its weight with agriculture and production and believes that the 2017 Essequibo Agro and Trade Exposition, at which he was at the time giving the feature address at its opening ceremony, will create avenues for the unleashing of under-exploited and hidden potential.

President Granger was at the time addressing a capacity audience at the Essequibo Chamber of Commerce Exposition and Trade Fair. “Last year, Region Two produced 85,000 metric tonnes of rice, 810 metric tonnes of fish and shrimp, 270 000 metric tonnes of agricultural produce and 44.4 M coconuts, so Region Two is not a poor region. It has potential,” Granger revealed, adding that there was a lot that the region could build upon.

Strengths and Challenges
Alluding to the region’s agricultural strengths, such as the availability of land, experience and expertise, Granger said that those should be exploited. “We are quite aware of the potential and talent of your population, we are quite aware too that you have challenges, but we have to work together to overcome those challenges,” Granger affirmed.

Highlighting these, the Head of State said that there was the challenge of political collaboration, social cohesion and geographical differences, but he believed that those challenges were not difficult to overcome if the residents worked together to unleash the region’s potential. One solution he put forward was networking between the three tiers of government in the region and Anna Regina as the capital town, playing an integral role in its development. “What we see here in Anna Regina is a hub, but it should not be a hub attracting poor people, it should be a hub of prosperity. It should be a hub of social cohesion.”

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