TOWN Clerk Royston King on Tuesday defended Smart City Solutions (SCS) over claims by the team renegotiating the contentious parking meter project that the foreign company refused to provide key documents to aid the team during the consultations.

SCS is the company that the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) granted the concession to install parking meters in the city.  In the final report from the renegotiating team, headed by Councillor Malcolm Ferreira, the team said that SCS refused to submit certain necessary documents to the committee unless its members agreed to be bounded by secrecy.

According to the report, the committee requested from SCS certain documents that “under normal circumstances” would be present and available in any business deal to clarify and verify. “SCS has not refused to provide the necessary documents. SCS has been consulting with their lawyers and in fact, they have provided those documents and those documents are with the office of the town clerk,” King told the Chronicle on the sidelines of a press conference at City Hall.

“Everybody, all the key players were informed that the town clerk signed the confidentiality note and that the documents were received; the documents were submitted late. All the key players were informed that the documents were submitted,” King added.  He questioned whether it was the renegotiating team that actually said they could not get  hold of the documents, or whether it was information garnered during the consultations. “I don’t know that they (the renegotiating committee) are saying that the documents were not submitted; that they (SCS) refused. I don’t know that they’re saying that.

I saw something in the report, but I don’t know that’s what they’re saying,” King claimed.  Contacted yesterday, Ferreira told the Chronicle that the report he and his team submitted to the City Council states “exactly” what transpired. “And I stand by the report. That’s all I’ll say at the moment,” Ferreira said.  Meanwhile, the report said that SCS wanted the team to sign a confidentiality agreement before being allowed to see the relevant documents (feasibility study, business proposal).

Given the public nature of the parking meter fiasco, though, the committee said it found it necessary to reject the idea of signing any non-disclosure agreement or to be bound by secrecy.  “The fact that the accountant’s report raised major red flags, it became necessary to ask SCS to provide verifying documents for the initial capital expenditure (proof of investment), as it is alarmingly unfair for council to negotiate any deal without having the true and proper supporting documents to arrive at a business proposal that would be beneficial to all involved,” the report continued.

The company refused to provide proof of investment and was therefore informed by the committee that no further discussions will take place unless and until the documents requested are made available, the report disclosed.  Although Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams, representatives from the Ministry of Finance, and the independent accountant agreed that SCS should willingly release the documents as requested, as is the norm for due diligence, the report continued that the documents were never presented to the committee and hence no further discussions took place.

While Councillor Ferreira was appointed chairman, other members of the committee were Councillors Noelle Chow-Chee, Carlyle Goring, Tricia Richards, Ivelaw Henry, Roopnarine Persaud and Heston Bostwick.

Transparency 
According to the report, during consultations, persons expressed the view that the whole process surrounding the deal with SCS lacked transparency. “According to some stakeholders, many parts of the project seemed to be shrouded in secrecy and was not open to full clarification and scrutiny.” The fees for towing, storage and clamping were said to be “exploitative” and persons relayed a message of feeling victimised, the report mentioned. “Booting seems to have had a nasty negative effect on the psyche of some persons, who willingly expressed such at the consultations and with some calling the act oppressive and even slave-like.”

As for the cost, the report said the overwhelming majority of persons consulted expressed the view that the current prices are way too high. “Comparisons were presented as it relates to our GDP, the economic situation in the country, the salaries of residents and especially paid-parking as another new burden on the society. Concerns were raised about the high cost for all-day parking, as well as no preferential parking for business owners, customers and delivery vehicles.”

The view was expressed that SCS is a foreign company and as such, the majority of the revenue earned in Guyana will be exported to a foreign country and not used for local development. “Persons were of the view that Guyanese companies could provide the same or a better service at a cheaper price that’s beneficial to all involved.” Meanwhile, the Movement Against Parking Meters (MAPM) remains resolute in its call for the complete revocation of the project.

The opportunity will be provided on Thursday for councillors to debate the committee’s report and then to make a final decision on the next step forward.