President orders high-level probe into rental of new ‘warehouse’ to store pharmaceutical drugs

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President David Granger

President David Granger has appointed a high-level Cabinet Sub-Committee to “review, examine and report” on the controversial  issue of the multi-million-dollar rental of an unfinished and reportedly uncertified storage bond for pharmaceutical drugs.

The Government, in a statement, announced that Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Mr. Raphael Trotman has been appointed to chair the Sub-Committee and it includes Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Minister of State Mr. Joseph Harmon.

President David Granger
President David Granger

Cabinet at its meeting on Tuesday, August 9, was briefed by Minister of Public Health Dr George Norton on the matters raised in the Committee of Supply of the National Assembly relating to storage of government medicine and medical supplies.

The Sub-Committee met yesterday, at the Office of the Prime Minister, and was provided with an extensive and detailed brief with regard to the issues, needs and challenges related to the storage of medicine and medical supplies.

Sub-Committee Chair Minister Trotman and Health Minister Dr. Norton, who has made himself available to the Sub-Committee for the purposes of providing information and clarifications, subsequently conducted extensive inspection tours of both the Sussex Street, Georgetown facility along with the Ministry of Public Health Supplies Chain Management Complex at Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara.

The Sub-Committee is in the process of preparing an initial report and a further statement is slated to be presented at a post-Cabinet Media Briefing later today (Thursday, August 11).

Dr Norton, when grilled by Opposition PPP/C Members of Parliament in the National Assembly on Monday, revealed that the Government has opted – via ‘sole sourcing’ – to rent a facility that is less than 10,000 square feet, which is still to be completed and fails to meet minimum standards for pharmaceutical storage.

Norton also revealed that a $25M deposit has already been handed over to Linden Holding Inc – a company whose majority shareholder is listed as Larry Singh – for rental of a building in Sussex Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, to be used as a storage bond for drugs and medical supplies for the Public Health Ministry and the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

INews understands that the rental fee charged is more than double the amount asked by NEW GPC for use of its 70,000 square foot drug storage bond. The Guyana Government in 2015 terminated its prequalification agreement with NEW GPC.

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3 COMMENTS

  1. Yes, I agree , let others persons who are not . members of the the Cabinet investigate these nest of vipers. Some are there to do exactly what the others were doing and to steal MORE Money

  2. Who will Conduct the probe? WHY not someone who is not in the government? We need a fair assessment since HARMON, Namakram and Ramjaat are all soup drinkers….Its seems like corruption continues to the fullest and ONLY the tax payers are feeling it…NO ONE ELSE!

  3. you don’t have to wait till their 5 years is up for this current government their corruption is very bleating for all to see!

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