As heavy rains continue across the country and the likelihood of additional flooding is on the horizon, President Irfaan Ali Wednesday announced today that he has instructed Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall to immediately review all service and maintenance contracts within the sphere of the Government of Guyana and the entire State structure, in relation to drainage pumps, sluices, kokers and drainage and irrigation, generally, and to enforce any penalty clause against contractors who are in breach of their obligations under these contracts.
“I have also instructed the Attorney General that where such penalty clauses are absent that these contracts be renegotiated for the purpose of inserting penalty clauses, which can be activated when contractors fail to discharge their duties under such contracts,” the President announced in a brief statement.
The President’s instruction follows flooding in some parts of the city today as heavy rainfall drenched the coastland. Some of the pumps in the City that should be maintained by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority were found not to be working.
Earlier this month, the President visited several pump stations across Georgetown and on the East Coast.
He raised concerns after and complained about sleeping pump attendants.
The Mayor and City Council was also blamed for the flood situation in the city earlier this month with several government ministers on record saying that there was a deliberate attempt to keep the pumps down and the sluice doors closed.
But the city council rubbished the accusations saying there was no way flooding in the city could have been avoided due to the persistent rainfall experienced.
The City Council has also lambasted the Government of starving it of resources to maintain the city’s infrastructure while dolling out funds to small contractors for cleaning works.
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