Yesterday, the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, and a team of State Counsel attached to the Attorney General’s Chambers met with Chairman of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NIDA) Lionel Wordsworth and Deputy-Chief Executive Officer, Dave Hicks at the boardroom of the Ministry of Legal Affairs.
The purpose of the meeting was to execute the instructions of President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali to the Attorney General, last week.
Last Wednesday, the President instructed the Attorney General to immediately review all service and maintenance contracts within the sphere of the Government of Guyana and the entire State structure, about drainage pumps, sluices, kokers and drainage, and irrigation, generally, and to enforce any penalty clause against contractors who are in breach of their obligations under these contracts.
President Ali also instructed the Attorney General that where such penalty clauses are absent, that these contracts be renegotiated to insert penalty clauses, which can be activated when contractors fail to discharge their duties under such contracts.
During the meeting, the relevant contractual documents were examined and the Officials from the NDIA are to provide to the Attorney General Chambers, a brief of the facts and circumstances surrounding non-working drainage pumps that are subject to be maintained and kept functional under those contracts.
It was also decided that a new model contract is to be drawn up by the Attorney General which would provide specific terms and conditions relating to contractors defaults’ in relation to the maintenance and upkeep of drainage pumps that result in flooding. This model contract will also provide for liquidated damages and for compensation to be paid when there is breach and negligence on the part of contractors which causes or contributes to flooding.
