With the government moving ahead with hundreds of infrastructure and other development projects nationwide, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has admitted that it is becoming difficult to monitor the projects for corrupt activities.

“There may be corruption because with thousands of new contracts now, it is hard to police,” the Vice President told reporters during a press conference at Freedom House on Thursday.

He said just last week, a government engineer was caught trying to “shakedown” a contractor.

Frustrated at the increasing rise in reported corrupt practices in the government sector, the Vice President called on government contractors to report any attempt by government workers to solicit money from them.  

“Please contact the president’s office or my office, it will be treated as high priority or public works, the minister. Please contact us, any person is trying to shake you down,” the Vice President pleaded.

He said the situation is even more dire in the Housing Sector with the Government receiving daily reports of persons being conned into paying a middleman large sums of money with the hope of securing a plot of land.

“If you do it and we find out, you may not even get a house lot that you are eligible for, if you apply for it. Please don’t go to middle men. There is no middle man here. Anybody who says that to you, you just bring it to the president’s attention or the minister or my attention or the tender board or get it out in the public domain. Go public, go public, that’s what we need,” the Vice President urged.

He assured that reports of corruption would be investigated by the State, and in some instances, sting operations will be set up in partnership with the police, to catch those who are bent on breaking the laws.

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