Competence, salary and qualifications of Project Manager addressed

THE recent misinformation surrounding the E-government project as touted by the Opposition, APNU, has encouraged its Project Manager, Alexei Ramotar, to set the record straight.In a recent interview aired on Television Guyana’s (TVG 28) Current Issues and Analysis programme, Mr. Ramotar moved to explain that there are two distinct Information Communication Technology (ICT) projects

that are currently being undertaken by government.
He explained that there is an E-Government project which aims to provide the necessary ICT infrastructure for government to improve efficiency between government offices and the public. This project is a joint venture between the governments of Guyana and China to a tune of US$32M. The second project is called the DMDW Project which involved the running of a fibre optic cable from Lethem to Georgetown. This project is fully funded by the Government of Guyana to a tune of US$5M.
“In terms of my responsibilities, it is the designing of the project, implementation and scheduling,” explained Mr. Ramotar.
The Project Manager pointed out that the misunderstanding by APNU of what each project entails has led the coalition party to call his competency into question.
“The E-Government Project is actually a very large project…and is covering the entire coast of Guyana, and heavily populated areas,” explained Mr. Ramotar. “It requires seven different technologies to implement– not a single technology, while the DWDM project is a relatively simpler project.”
The E-Government Project had an initial end date of April 2014, which has been pushed back to August to facilitate testing of the network before it becomes fully operational.
“We expect all the parts to be finished by April 2014, we are on track for that,” Mr. Ramotar explained. “The April to August period is where we will be doing a lot of testing, and optimization of the network and so forth. These are very standard things that happen in telecoms.”
The Project Manager contended that the delay is due to several factors which arose out of the need to update the initial technology for the project.
“As a matter of fact, that delay was for the better, because, we have more, better technology- 4G is a better technology; and a larger part of the population can have access to it,” Mr. Ramotar explained. He said that government had to renegotiate with Huawei, the ICT provider for the project, for the change in technology and also had to engage in additional site tests.
He further explained that the savings derived from the change in technology by Huawei allowed for government to include 24 additional network sites which now extend the network reach while still staying within budget.
The DWDM Project, which was subcontracted to local contractors, however, encountered a number of delays which are primarily due to the improper handling and installation of the fibre cables. Additional delays resulted from road wash away, the building of the new 4-lane road on the EBD and vandalism.
“We asked the consultant from Venezuela to come to Guyana to go through everything,” explained the Project Manager. Having examined the telecom design of the DWDM project, the consultant confirmed that it is proper and sufficient and has been recommended in a preliminary report that the methodology of the installation of the fiber needs to be changed. The final report is expected soon.
Mr. Ramotar also used the television interview to address concerns about his qualifications. He explained that he has over a decade of work experience in network engineering, a degree in Computer Science from the University of Guyana and a Master’s in Mathematics from the University of Waterloo, Canada.
“I have experience in telecommunications in terms of how the systems operate, value services and so forth,” explained the Project Manager, “So I have a pretty broad experience in not only implementing, but also for designing networks, both for telecoms and wide area networks.”
Mr. Ramotar noted that with his qualifications and his training, he opted to return to Guyana to serve, given the possibilities for ICT in the development of youth.
“It’s a little patriotism, I guess, to come back to Guyana and assist,” he noted. “I was looking forward to the ICT Project in 2006, that’s when I was graduating from University and Guyana had just finished its ICT Strategy Paper, so I knew that there was an interest in Guyana to develop ICT and believe ICT is a way for Youth Development in Guyana.”
Mr. Ramotar further explained that ICT is the way forward for Guyana.
“We need to develop the infrastructure and I believe that I can contribute to this development so that the youth in Guyana especially can have a different view, can have information, can have increased job opportunities, and can also not be outpaced by people in developing countries with better ICT infrastructures,” said Mr. Ramotar.
He noted that had he remained in Canada or had even taken a job within the Region, given his skills and qualifications, he would have been better compensated than the $650,000 salary he receives, but his dedication to Guyana has led him to return home.
On the issue of the Opposition questioning his competence and suggesting that the projects are significantly behind schedule, Mr. Ramotar said that he believes the public should know how their money is spent and he is therefore open to discuss the project with anyone who inquires. He explained that he is disappointed in the manner in which the APNU has addressed the issue, given his continued openness to discuss the projects.
“They could have called us and asked us specifically about it; the fact that they went out there and published questions, they made a press statement and asked questions in the National Assembly, which is slightly unusual, I think shows that it was a political issue,” contended Mr. Ramotar. “They wanted to make a political issue out of it. So that was a bit disappointin;, that’s the way they went. On the other hand, the information we give is for the benefit of all Guyanese.”