Portia continues to disappoint. When is she going to lead by being decisive!?!
EDITORIAL - No time for political games
published: Thursday | November 8, 2007
After we get past the drama of a weeping Kern Spencer, the former junior minister in the ministry of energy, the Jamaican public still awaits some specifics from the People's National Party on the Cuba/Jamaica light bulb distribution project.
The initial response from Portia Simpson Miller, the party's president, was to give Phillip Paulwell, the former minister under whose portfolio the project fell, and Mr. Spencer, two weeks to draft a report and submit same for perusal. Having received the report on Tuesday, Mrs. Simpson Miller has now appointed a six-member committee of senior and junior party functionaries to leaf through the report.
Notwithstanding the referral of documents to the Fraud Squad, Auditor General and the Contractor General by the Government, we fail to see what light Dr. Omar Davies, Donald Buchanan, Peter Phillips, A.J. Nicholson, Easton Douglas and Lisa Hanna can shed on the matter that Messrs Paulwell and Spencer could not. Is the stage being set for anything other than damage control?
The Jamaican public is apparently being asked, at this stage, to believe that the previous government, except for Messrs Spencer and Paulwell, was entirely in the dark about the management of the project. If that is so, how can they and the wider public be assured that anything done was in accordance with established procedures?
The Jamaican public simply needs to know a few things. Is it true that Mr. Spencer gave instructions, as reported to Parliament by Energy Minster Clive Mullings, for payments amounting to millions of dollars to be made to several entities, but principally to Universal Management and Development Company Ltd; which was incorporated just ahead of the commencement of the project?
On what basis were the recommendations made?
How was this company, which is not on the approved list of the National Contracts Committee, given the responsibility for the work?
What track record does its principals have that made him/them the 'obvious' choice for this project?
Were the Cuban volunteers paid a stipend by their government and the Jamaican Government? If so, why? Are there instances of double payment for work done?
In all the controversy over this specific issue, the Jamaican public should not lose sight of what, at best, would be careless oversight, but quite possibly contempt for the offices of the Contractor General and Auditor General with regard to the awarding and management of this contract and, by extension, the public. How much debate and concern have there been throughout the life of the past PNP administration over procedural breaches in the awarding of contracts? How can the public be asked to accept that these are all mistakes?
While we appreciate that the report of the investigation lends itself to a great deal of politicking, what is of greater importance is that the public be presented with all the facts. If there are concerns about public expenditure, then let the probes lead to their natural conclusions. The Government should not allow itself to be detained by charges of witch-hunts - charges which themselves may just be aimed at obfuscating the issues.
The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.
EDITORIAL - No time for political games
published: Thursday | November 8, 2007
After we get past the drama of a weeping Kern Spencer, the former junior minister in the ministry of energy, the Jamaican public still awaits some specifics from the People's National Party on the Cuba/Jamaica light bulb distribution project.
The initial response from Portia Simpson Miller, the party's president, was to give Phillip Paulwell, the former minister under whose portfolio the project fell, and Mr. Spencer, two weeks to draft a report and submit same for perusal. Having received the report on Tuesday, Mrs. Simpson Miller has now appointed a six-member committee of senior and junior party functionaries to leaf through the report.
Notwithstanding the referral of documents to the Fraud Squad, Auditor General and the Contractor General by the Government, we fail to see what light Dr. Omar Davies, Donald Buchanan, Peter Phillips, A.J. Nicholson, Easton Douglas and Lisa Hanna can shed on the matter that Messrs Paulwell and Spencer could not. Is the stage being set for anything other than damage control?
The Jamaican public is apparently being asked, at this stage, to believe that the previous government, except for Messrs Spencer and Paulwell, was entirely in the dark about the management of the project. If that is so, how can they and the wider public be assured that anything done was in accordance with established procedures?
The Jamaican public simply needs to know a few things. Is it true that Mr. Spencer gave instructions, as reported to Parliament by Energy Minster Clive Mullings, for payments amounting to millions of dollars to be made to several entities, but principally to Universal Management and Development Company Ltd; which was incorporated just ahead of the commencement of the project?
On what basis were the recommendations made?
How was this company, which is not on the approved list of the National Contracts Committee, given the responsibility for the work?
What track record does its principals have that made him/them the 'obvious' choice for this project?
Were the Cuban volunteers paid a stipend by their government and the Jamaican Government? If so, why? Are there instances of double payment for work done?
In all the controversy over this specific issue, the Jamaican public should not lose sight of what, at best, would be careless oversight, but quite possibly contempt for the offices of the Contractor General and Auditor General with regard to the awarding and management of this contract and, by extension, the public. How much debate and concern have there been throughout the life of the past PNP administration over procedural breaches in the awarding of contracts? How can the public be asked to accept that these are all mistakes?
While we appreciate that the report of the investigation lends itself to a great deal of politicking, what is of greater importance is that the public be presented with all the facts. If there are concerns about public expenditure, then let the probes lead to their natural conclusions. The Government should not allow itself to be detained by charges of witch-hunts - charges which themselves may just be aimed at obfuscating the issues.
The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.
Comment