…REO says grappling with staff shortage

REGION 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) councillors have again called for the revamping of the Public Works Department at the Regional Democratic Council, because of issues ranging from questionable conduct to inefficiency in the execution of their duties. The issue was the highlight of September’s statutory meeting, where Regional Chairman Renis Morian and Councillor Charles Sampson vehemently voiced their concerns on alleged questionable activities of officers within the department; even as the council made a decision for those person or persons to be removed.

Morian said that he has evidence that employees within the department are involved in fraudulent activities. “We have evidence that there are people in the Works Department that have held up people’s payments because people refuse to pay, we have evidence of this, there are persons who are willing to come forward and say this,” he noted. He asked that those persons be removed the very day and there be a complete revamping of the department.

Councillor Charles Sampson called on councillors to put their houses in order and noted that he is dissatisfied with some of the internal systems within the department. He noted that these irregularities were up for discussion several times before and nothing seems to be changing. “Honestly, I am not satisfied with some of the internal systems in the Works Department….the more we talk about change, the more we remain the same and that seems to be happening….we are not seeing the kind of progress that councillors expect to see,” Sampson noted.

He called on the administration to implement the critical recommendations that the council has made concerning staff members being removed from the department. He said the Works Department is critical to every other department within the administration and if it is not put in order, then it will have tremendous “back firing.”

Grappling with staff shortage
Regional Executive Officer (REO) Orrin Gordon, who was appointed in March, explained that it is difficult to implement certain requests made by the council, relative to removing staff, since the department is currently understaffed and there needs to be continuity of work, so as to facilitate the smooth flow of the works programme. He described Sampson’s accusation of the council not progressing as inaccurate; noting that there has been movement and the capital budget spending is on target. “Things have changed and we are seeing some movement…I came here in mid-March, when I came here in mid-March there was not one single award from the tender board, not one and by the end of June I had all out,” Gordon noted.

He agreed with the notion that the department needs to be reorganised, but presently he said, he is looking for ways to manoeuvre with the staff shortage. Gordon related that he would have approached the requisite Ministry about the matter, but has not received any positive response since. “These are the things I am talking about, we presided over that situation from some lack of managerial resources coming in from wherever and then we are expected that in two months, that this must be fixed,” he said in response to Sampson’s comment.

Morian said that the issue needs to be corrected immediately, since ground officers and technical personnel are needed to monitor and evaluate works completed by contractors. The few staff in the department are working overtime and cannot take on all the work load; and if it is not corrected, the entire region will suffer, he said. Workers are also needed to evaluate projects ongoing in Sub District 2 and other outlying areas. He is calling on the Public Service Department and the Ministry of Communities to look into the matter earliest.