By Saskia Warrick | November 4, 2024
In a startling revelation during the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting today, it was disclosed that a contractor in Region Nine has been granted an unprecedented 100-year agreement to repay a $6 million debt owed to the region.
The PAC, which is currently reviewing the fiscal year 2019 report, discussed overpayments made to contractors between 2015 and 2018, totaling 32.5 million dollars.
Regional Executive Officer (REO) Karl Singh provided an update on the status of these funds, stating that some of the money has been recovered, but there are still outstanding balances due to deceased individuals, those who cannot be located, and others still repaying their debts.
One of the contractors owing $6 million for four projects has agreed to repay the debt in installments of $5,000 per month.
The REO explained the rationale behind this long-term repayment agreement.
Finance Secretary Sukrishnalall Pasha was tasked with providing recommendations on how to resolve this issue, with the expectation of a formal proposal at the next PAC sitting.
The matter continues to raise questions about the management of public funds and the accountability of contractors in the region.