| … ‘Barber shop’ computer contract scandal widensThe document from the Registrar of Business Names that shows Digital Technology was first registered as a business in 2003,Cheap Jerseys Online, but was given a contract in 2002 – even before it was registered as an ordinary business. In another attempt to defend the award of multi-million-dollar contracts to Digital Technology – the company’s head office address which was found to be a Brooklyn barber shop – the Minister of Education has in effect admitted the entity was given contracts even before it existed.And the Education Ministry wants this newspaper to name the Minister who is said to be a major financier of the company.Editor-in-chief Adam Harris said that this newspaper is prepared to do that once Minister Shaik Baksh supplies full details of the 38 contracts that were awarded to Digital Technology.Yesterday, in an apparent forced statement forwarded to the media houses by the Ministry,Wholesale NFL Jerseys Online, the Registrar of Business Names confirmed that Digital Technology was registered as a business on November 27,Cheap Jerseys Outlet, 2003, with Krishendat Sukhu and Steve Morgan, as proprietors.Minister Baksh last Thursday said that the company received government contracts as far back as 2002. This suggested that Digital Technology received contracts even before it existed, whether as a sole trader or as fully incorporated company.The Minister of Education is yet to explain how this is so, and to provide the full list of 38 contracts given to the company since then.The last registration of Digital Technology as a business was in June 2008. Digital Technology was incorporated as a full company,China Jerseys Wholesale, with directors and shareholders in June 2009.Being registered as a business and being registered as a company carries completely different requirements.When persons register a business they were not required to submit any sort of financial reports. And that was the position of Digital Technology from 2003 to June,cheap nfl jerseys outlet, 2009. During that same period, according to Baksh,Wholesale NFL Jerseys China, it received multi-million-dollar contracts.When it became a company, under the Companies Act, it was required to submit Annual Returns, Balance Sheet, profit and Loss Accounts and Auditors Reports. This is what the company failed to do in 2010 and was threatened with being struck off the register of companies.Even when it became a company, no checks were done on its position – according to Minister Baksh – when it was granted a $223 million contract.A reported “due diligence” was conducted by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) before the company was granted a $70 million contract. It was that same CDB position, Baksh said, that was used to grant the company the $223 million contract that is being funded by Guyanese taxpayers.The company, which is thought to be financed by a minister, was awarded contracts when it was in default of the Companies Act. It supplied faulty equipment to the University of Guyana, and of its CEO breached his obligation to serve the University after his return from India training.The Ministry yesterday disputed claims by this newspaper that Digital Technology was paid $10M to supply two UPS to the University of Guyana (Turkeyen Campus) that were damaged by floods in 2005.The Ministry claims that the two pieces of equipment were replaced by the manufacturer as both had a three-year warranty and the equipment are now working well.Sources did say that it was not Digital Technology that helped the University receive the replacement UPS. They said that after repeated efforts by the University’s Information Technology Department were met with repeated excuses by Digital Technology, frustration boiled over and another company was called in to assess the process. It was only then that the UPS were replaced.Thirdly, the Ministry of Legal Affairs Permanent Secretary Edward Wills has confirmed that the two computers supplied to the ministry are working well and there have been no reports of any defects as reported by the Kaieteur News.Finance Secretary Nirmal Rehaka has also confirmed that all contracts awarded to Digital Technology have followed all applicable tender procedures.Further, the Ministry of Education quoted the Head of the University of Guyana Information Technology Department (Turkeyen Campus), Raymond Khan, and the Director of the Berbice Campus Professor Daizal Samad, as saying that the computers supplied to the university campuses are of good quality and are working well.A senior University source had told Kaieteur News that one of the reasons why the University stopped by buying from the company directly and started to source from Dell was because of faulty equipment.The Ministry however continued to source computers for the University from Digital Technology, but the equipment were not checked upon delivery to ensure they complied with the required specifications.On Friday, sources told Kaieteur News that officials from the Ministry touched down at the University’s Berbice campus to take details regarding computers that were supplied to that campus a while back.In addition, the officials were also Friday at the University’s Turkeyen campus, taking details about computers that were delivered by the company since last December.It appears that no checks were carried out on the equipment that were delivered to the University. Kaieteur News understands that an estimated 30 computers with equipment were dropped off at the University since last December, but the Ministry of Education officials were only Friday verifying the equipment following revelations about the company.On the equipment supplied to the Ministry of Legal Affairs,Cheap NFL Jerseys, the Education Ministry quoted the Permanent Secretary Edward Wills as saying the there have been no reports of any defects.The Ministry of Education quoted Finance Secretary Nirmal Rekha as saying that all contracts awarded to Digital Technology have followed all applicable tender procedures.The Ministry, which has jumped to defend Digital Technology and the award of contracts to that company, restated that the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board is the authority responsible for the evaluation and the award of contracts.Tenders are opened publicly, evaluated by a committee appointed by the board which makes reports and recommendations, and an award is finally made by the board.At a press conference Minister Baksh called with Minister of Finance Ashni Singh, they both said that the Board does not go checking on the information submitted by bidders. |
