Following detailed examination of estimates…
THE expenditures for the 10 administrative regions, which fall under the purview of the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, were on Wednesday approved by the National Assembly, subsequent to a host of questions by opposition members of Parliament. Some of the questions posed by the opposition relate to the allocation of funds for the contracting of security guards, market tarmacs and fuel in Region One.
The ball started rolling with detailed questioning on increased allocations for guard services for the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development and on why the need for a change in the money allocated.
Aubrey Norton of the PNCR noticed the disparity between the cost for the two categories of guards and wanted answers.
Subject Minister Kellewan Lall stated that the ministry intended to tender for the armed guards since it has been concluded that baton guards did not offer the measure of security required. Brushing off questions about the cost for the guards, the minister said that he would not know this until the ministry awards a tender.
Deborah Backer of the PNCR asked why the need for armed security when Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, in his budget presentation some days ago, said that the country’s security situation had improved. “Why would you need an armed guard?” Backer asked. To this, Lall answered: “I suppose this is what Minister Rohee meant when he spoke of enhanced security. It is for us to assist him in providing ourselves with security.”
On the issue of contracted workers, Norton asked the minister whether he is concerned that the use of contract workers is widening the gap between the highest paid and the lowest. Lall answered saying that he did not agree. “The highest paid is the Permanent Secretary, and Permanent Secretaries are hard working people who are entitled to their salaries,” Lall said.
Sheila Holder of the Alliance for Change (AFC) asked the minister the name of the security firm and the quality of service provided. “Is it also armed dogs security? What is special about the security service?” she asked.
Norton also wanted to know whether the security being sought was for personal or the security of premises and wanted to know whether the security firm being contemplated is specialised in personal security, or whether it would be the general security service used by ministries.                                                                           “In other words, are the same people protecting building protecting body?” he asked.
Lall replied that it was residential security being provided. “I suppose when we go to tender the specifications will be put out to the public,” he said.
Ernest Elliot of the PNCR asked about an increase to $1.2M in 2011 from $462,000 in 2010. Lall said that the Permanent Secretary, due to certain unfortunate circumstances during the past year, has seen the need to have an armed guard in the compound of the ministry and this amount will cater for that.
Asked about an allocation of $1.2M listed under ‘Other’, Lall explained that this is for internet services, database creation and the creation of a website.
Elliot asked who would be the beneficiaries of the training for which the sum of $13M was allocated. Lall said this would cover increased training of personnel and elected officials in the municipalities and the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs).
He said only “the other day” he and Leader of the Opposition, Robert Corbin, went to Linden and saw the need for training; and with the encouragement of Corbin, the ministry has programmed enhanced training for the staff and the councillors of the Linden Municipality. “So this would cater for that,” he said.
Elliot wanted to know the reason for the vast increase under ‘Other’.
“Mr. Chairman, we have a landfill site at Lusignan and there will be some increased cost since we will need to close that landfill site during the course of the year, because under the Haags Bosch programme, we will be having several transfer stations…so there will be no need for the Lusignan landfill site any longer,” Lall said. However, he said also that the closure of the Lusignan site would cost money.
Lall, during his answers, provided the cost for the various market tarmacs that Government has undertaken to build. “Mr. Chairman, the Plaisance tarmac will cost $17.5M, the Buxton tarmac $4.2M, Haslington tarmac 20M and the Mahaica market will cost $134M,” he said. He also noted that Tipperary Hall to be rebuilt this year in Buxton will cost $36M.
Norton asked the minister if the investment in tarmacs is a wise one when one contemplates climate change and the fact that the world is moving towards modern malls. Further, he asked how much money was allocated to drainage to save the market from the runoff water from the tarmac. The Minister conceded that drainage must be looked at and that the ministry will make provision for it.

Power for Region One
Desmond Fernandes of the PNCR, querying an allocation of $67M for Region One, asked the minister how many hours of power will the region  get with the additional allocation for fuel and lubricants. Fernandes said that the region now gets 19 hours of blackouts on a daily basis. The minister said the number of power outage hours would remain the same. He said that Prime Minister Sam Hinds is considering some proposals on the short and medium-term basis to put electricity in Region One.
“It so happens that we had given priority to Lethem because of the circumstances there. We will have more than 2.5 megawatts in Lethem and that will suffice. We are now considering Mahdia and Mabaruma, so we will deal with that issue of electricity in Mabaruma very soon,” the minister said.
Norton asked the minister what factors informed the decision to make Lethem a priority over Region One. Lall said there has been a rapid increase in the population with two new housing schemes –Tabatinga and Culvert City – and because of the development of the area, people are coming. Added to this, he said that the creation of the commercial zone in Lethem was also considered. “Because of the bridge across the Takutu River, there has been some urgency in us increasing our capacity in Lethem,” Lall said.
The minister also stated that there is no shortage of fuel in Region One and that the region buys from legally authorised dealers. He said the Guyana Oil Company is a business, despite being state-owned, and as such, he is not sure whether that company would want to subsidise fuel in Region One.
Holder asked Lall if he is aware of fuel smuggling in the area, to which he said he had no comment to make.
Fernandes wanted the minister to provide the names of the persons from whom the region purchases legal fuel.
“The GEA has provided licences for persons to operate in Mabaruma and I could supply those names based on a letter given to me by GEA. These people are audited by the Auditor General and they are accepted as legitimate suppliers of fuel,” Lall said.