THE Parliamentary Opposition is calling for an investigation to be launched into Homestretch Development Inc. (HDI)–the special-purpose company which had spearheaded the initial construction of the Jubilee Durban Park Development Project.
In a letter dated September 25, 2017, and addressed to the Chairman of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC), Carol Corbin, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Member of Parliament, Juan Edghill, requested that an investigation be carried out into the award of contracts and payment of monies to HDI, as it relates to the Jubilee Durban Park Development Project.

The request was made in keeping with Article 212 AA (1) (h), (i) and (j) of the Constitution of Guyana. In the correspondence, the opposition MP pointed out that during the initiation of the project in September 2015, ahead of Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary, the project was dubbed a private initiative.
“The National Assembly was informed that this project would be funded by private individuals through an unnamed private organisation, and, that this project would be no drain on the public purse. There were no specified budgetary provisions in the 2015 and 2016 Annual Budgets for the Jubilee Durban Park Development Project,” Edghill pointed out.
He added: “From September 2015 to January 22nd, 2016, there was no account of what monies were collected, who collected these and who authorised the collection, nor how these were spent. Government had promised to account for the donations received, but this was not done.”

On April 21, 2016, President David Granger mandated the Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson ,to immediately assume full responsibility for the D’urban Park Development Project.
By November, 2016, the Government sought approval from the National Assembly for the sum of $406.7M to assist with the payment for goods and services provided for the completion of the multi-million dollar project.

Also, an additional $500M from the Consolidated Fund was sought by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure in December, 2016 and was approved by the National Assembly.
“We were told in the Committee of Supply of the National Assembly that the sums approved would be given to the Homestretch Development Inc. (HDI), a special purpose company, to honour its financial obligations to contractors and suppliers. This is the first time that the name of this company was made public,” the Edghill recalled, while pointing out that the company was registered on January 22, 2016.

“From its inception to April 21st, 2016, the private company, HDI, had control of financing and managing the project. From April 22nd, 2016 to June 2017, it is estimated that public monies amounting to GYD $1.5B have been spent on the project. We look forward to your investigation,” Edghill told Corbin, in his correspondence.
The Parliamentary Opposition wants also wants the PPC, following the completion of its investigation, to disclose the procurement process for contracts awarded to facilitate works on the project, prior to April 21, 2016 and up to June 30, 2017.

The PPP wants too, the Commission to determine whether a private company can engage contractors without having any established procurement process, and whether that company can also then request and receive public monies for funding the same contracts.
“Does our Procurement Act bind government-owned and controlled Special Purpose Companies (SPC) to follow its procurement rules? Was there a budgeted and actual cost for every completed phase of the project? Was there a projected final cost for the overall project? What payments were made to individuals, contractors and companies as it relates to this project and what liabilities, if any, to individuals, contractors and companies were owed for works and services up to June 2017?” were among the questions posed to the PPC, with the hope of acquiring the answers, if or when, the investigation is conducted.
The PPC also wants the PPC to determine whether there was any illegality or mismanagement of this project, and if so, to make the necessary recommendations.