NDIA contractors still unpaid after a year

Dear Editor,

I express my profound concern and disappointment over the Ministry of Agriculture’s continued failure to ensure that contractors engaged by NDIA are paid for services rendered. My investigation reveals that service providers and contractors have not been paid for over a year. Money was allocated in the agriculture budget but payments not made. NDIA and ministry money seemed to run out over the last few years before work is completed. The small man was not paid. Those big contractors close with the president, VP, minister, and chairman got paid. Many contractors have now gone in excess of a year without receiving payment, despite fulfilling their contractual obligations in good faith.

The prolonged non-payment has placed an unbearable financial burden on businesses that have continued to support NDIA and Ministry of Agriculture. Contractors have been forced to meet payroll, repay loans, satisfy suppliers, and cover operating expenses while waiting for payments that should have been made long ago. For many, this delay threatens the survival of their businesses and the livelihoods of their employees. Why have they not been paid? Where did the money go? Did it go for infrastructure work for a private farm of a ranking government official in Soesdyke? Did some funds go in pockets of some officials known for corruption?

What is deeply troubling is the apparent lack of accountability, transparency, care, compassion, and responsibility surrounding this matter. The minister and other officials have been arrogant, dismissing requests for payment. Contractors are helpless; the VP and president have ignored their calls. Contractors deserve clear explanations for these delays, transparent communication regarding the status of their invoices, and a firm timetable for payment. Instead, they have been met with uncertainty and prolonged silence.

This perceived lack of accountability mirrors broader concerns that have been raised on other matters including the one that occupies national attention regarding the handling of the MV Barima^[1]. Whether one agrees or disagrees with decisions made in that matter, it has contributed to a public perception that responsibility for significant issues is too often unclear and that those affected are left without timely answers or meaningful resolution. Such perceptions erode confidence in the minister, chairman of NDIA, and public administration in general and in the institutions responsible for safeguarding the public interest.

The ministry and the government have a responsibility not only to oversee operations but also to ensure that public agencies conduct their affairs with transparency, integrity, and fairness. Allocated money approved by parliament should be spent as designated and not in other matters or siphoned off. Businesses that have honored their commitments should not be forced to endure indefinite delays in payment because of administrative shortcomings or failures in financial management and in mismanagement.

The chairman consistently told unpaid contractors over the last year that they will be paid by the Ministry of Finance Liability Mechanism. A check with the finance ministry revealed no such request was made. The unpaid contractors are left in limbo.

I respectfully urge the administration to take immediate steps to:

• Settle all verified outstanding payments owed to contractors without further delay.
• Provide contractors with a transparent update on the status of their outstanding invoices and a definitive payment schedule.
• Review the processes that have contributed to these unacceptable delays and implement measures to ensure they are not repeated.
• Demonstrate greater accountability and responsibility in addressing matters that directly affect businesses, workers, and public confidence.
• Hold the Minister, Chairman, and other officials accountable! Take actions against them if there is misuse of funds.

The private sector is an essential partner in Guyana’s development. That partnership can only be sustained when government agencies honor their contractual obligations and are held to the same standards of accountability expected of those who do business with them.

References

1. THE MV BARIMA TRAGEDY COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED — kaieteurnewsonline.com ↩