President orders immediate review of drainage and irrigation contracts; penalty clauses for neglect to be inserted

As Guyana grapples with nationwide flooding due to excessive rainfall and the poor management of the drainage systems, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has instructed Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall S.C., to immediately review all service and maintenance contracts in the public sphere, in relation to drainage pumps, sluices, kokers and drainage and irrigation.

In a brief statement on his Facebook page, the President said he has also instructed the Attorney-General to enforce any penalty clause against contractors who are in breach of their obligations under these contracts.

“I have also instructed the Attorney General that where such penalty clauses are absent that these contracts be renegotiated for the purpose of inserting penalty clauses, which can be activated when contractors fail to discharge their duties under such contracts,” the President noted too.

At the end of May, when several areas of Georgetown were inundated, the President lamented that the City Council, which has responsibility for the maintenance of the drainage infrastructure, was not fulfilling its responsibility.

Then, President Ali said the Central Government has embarked on a massive programme to develop the City. These include a macro plan for south Georgetown, cleaning the city of garbage, clearing drains and investing in drainage pumps to help manage the city’s flooding problem.

Meanwhile, during a recent the late-night inspection of pumps in and outside of Georgetown, the Head of State discovered that the pumps at Riverview were off, the koker doors were closed and the worker was asleep

While visiting the flood-affected community of Big Biaboo in Mahaica, Region Five (Mahaica- Berbice), in June, however, the President revealed that there will be a national assessment of drainage and irrigation to see where pumps are needed to help with flood mitigation.