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Georgetown, Guyana — Shadow Minister of Local Government, Ganesh Mahipaul, has called out the alleged misrepresentation of project statuses by government ministers Sonia Parag and Anand Persaud, claiming they misled President Irfaan Ali in a recent early-morning meeting on delayed projects. In a public statement, Mahipaul highlighted several major projects still incomplete, despite being allotted substantial budget allocations in prior years.
According to Mahipaul, critical market construction projects at Mon Repos and Skeldon, dating back to 2020, remain unfinished, along with others at Parika and Charity initially budgeted in 2021. “Three years later, they still sit incomplete,” Mahipaul emphasized, criticizing what he perceives as “further inefficiency and a lack of accountability” in the Ministry of Local Government.
Other examples include several landfill upgrade projects meant to improve environmental safety at key sites. Budgeted under the 2022 provisions, many are reportedly stalled. Among the delayed upgrades are stormwater ponds and landfill gas management systems planned for the Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill, which have yet to be completed. Mahipaul also noted the prolonged delay in the Port Mourant Secondary School project, a key educational facility that remains unfinished, with a significant impact on local students.
During President Ali’s 5:30 a.m. meeting on November 12, he asserted that only one project under the Ministry of Local Government was delayed by four months or more, a claim Mahipaul says does not reflect reality. “It appears that both Minister Sonia Parag and Minister Anand Persaud misled the President during the meeting,” Mahipaul stated. “The idea that only one project was delayed by four months or more is categorically untrue.”
Mahipaul also referred to President Ali’s commitment at the meeting to take firm action should it be confirmed that multiple projects faced delays of over four months. Now, Mahipaul insists, with evidence of several delayed projects under the Ministry of Local Government, Guyanese citizens are “waiting to see whether the President will follow through on his promise to hold his ministers accountable.”
The statement has sparked significant public interest, especially as President Ali’s meeting was seen as a push for transparency and efficiency in the public sector. However, Mahipaul insists that true accountability must also extend to the ministers responsible. He concluded, “The people of Guyana deserve better than this. They deserve a government that delivers on its promises and holds its ministers accountable for their failures.”
In calling for immediate action, Mahipaul’s statement poses a critical challenge to President Ali’s commitment to transparency in public procurement and project management. He urged that, in the face of mounting evidence, the government should prioritize timely completion of projects and address the root causes of these delays in its ministries.
