The Alliance for Change (AFC) says it will be pushing, at the level of the Public Account Committee (PAC), for the establishment of evaluation audits into the distribution of the COVID-19 relief cash grants and the procurement of over 40 tractors by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). Making this disclosure today, were party executives, during a press conference.
“I, certainly, would like to see evaluation audits done, and I’ve asked members of the main Opposition who are in the PAC, to ensure that is done…Mainly, an evaluation audit on the tractors bought for GuySuCo…And the distribution of the COVID-19 $25,000 [cash grant], [because] we believe they got a lot of corruption in these two areas,” Party Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan said.
As it relates to the procurement of the tractors, AFC Executive Member and PAC Chairman, David Patterson, said that all the AFC is interested in is “value for money”. They added that the audit in this transaction will hopefully bring closure to the allegations of sole sourcing. The audit into the relief, he further added, will address complaints of inequitable distribution and the alleged inconsistencies in requirements requested by the distribution teams.
The Government of Guyana (GoG) last year, announced that every household would benefit from a $25,000 cash grant to help alleviate hardships brought on by the ongoing pandemic. The initiative was split into two phases, with primary households receiving first, and secondary households getting pink slips for phase two of the distribution.
The sugar company, last November, announced that it would be purchasing via an “accelerated procurement process” 44 articulated tillage tractors to contribute to its soil improvement programme. The tractors were purchased from Game Equipment LLC, formerly Cameco at a reported cost of $33M each.
