Dumas, Mark clash over CEPEP

The Senate took an unusual twist yesterday as Minister of Public Utilities, Rennie Dumas, and Leader of Opposition Business in the Senate, Wade Mark, clashed over the membership of  the panel established by the Solid Waste Management Company Limited (SWMCOL) to select companies/contractors for CEPEP projects. The Opposition has consistently criticised the programme, claiming it is the ruling party’s payback to political supporters.

In a written question, Mark had sought to find out the number of persons, their names and professions, qualifications and experience, who comprised the panel. Dumas replied that the panel consisted of four SWMCOL officers and two contracted consultants. He listed them as the SWMCOL Project Officer for Support Services, a business administrator with an MBA and 15 years of experience of senior management; SWMCOL Internal Audit Officer, an accountant with ACCA Level 3 and some eight years of experience in management accounting; SWMCOL Manager of Projects, an engineer and project manager with a BSc in civil engineering, project management certification, and 12 years experience in middle to senior management; and SWMCOL Executive Chairman, a human resources professional and OD specialist with an MBA and 15 years experience in senior management. Another panel member was a contracted consultant, as yet unknown, who was a management consultant with a BSc commerce, and post graduate qualifications in systems engineering, and 20 years experience in marketing, operations research, business planning, and information technology.

The final panel member was also a contracted consultant who was an event management specialist with extensive training in strategic planning, marketing and sales management, plus 20 years experience in the import, retail distribution, and broadcasting industries. After Dumas’ reply, the Opposition complained that he had not answered properly because he had omitted to name the holders of each post. Saying he had noted the request for names, Dumas replied: “Given the vilification of this programme by the Opposition throughout the country, the danger is that the individual can become individual targets, not in their public function. We are asking the House to accept identification through the positions.” Wade Mark rose and retorted: “This is a very strange course. We have asked, in the highest court of the land, for their names. Could the Minister provide Parliament the names!” Dumas said his reply carried the same weight as if he had called the names of the members of the panel. To this, Opposition and some Independent members cried out: “No, no!” Meanwhile Newsday understands that the SWMCOL post-holders are as follows: Project Officer for Support Services is David Fraser; Internal Audit Officer, Pedro Britain; Manager of Projects, Gina Wharwood; and Executive Chairman, Ray Braithwaite.