MPs fret over schools, textbooks

D’Abadie/O’Meara MP Ancil Antoine asked if the EFCL’s debts to contractors would impede repairs in the July/August vacation, while Chaguanas East MP Fazal Karim was worried about the adequacy and efficiency of the school textbook rental scheme. In reply, the EFCL said school repairs should be unaffected by problems with construction of new schools, and the Ministry of Education could give few details of the top-up of the textbook scheme.

In reply to the query by Antoine, EFCL acting general manager Dennis Cox said the EFCL’s $628 million debt to contractors was being worsened by attracting interest penalties.

Cox spelt out the fallout for new school construction from these unpaid debts, saying, “I think 94 schools have been suspended, in terms of completion of contracts.” Antoine asked if this debt would impede school repairs during the long vacation. Cox replied, “The suspension really treats with the construction activity of the EFCL.

However, in terms of the repairs and maintenance programme, there is no significant negative impact.

The repairs are short term and completed on time.” Yet, he admitted that some contractors did both construction and repairs and was asked about any conflict in this. “In the pre-qualification exercise, one of the criteria is to look at contractors who have initiated legal proceedings against the EFCL. So that is a criterion which we look at.” Asked if litigants are debarred from new contracts, Cox replied, “We haven’t taken a decision as such, but it is something we are looking at. It’s not a definite position.” Cox said payment for work would not be made without a completion certificate, but Small said this reliance suggested the EFCL had abdicated its own responsibility.

He quoted audit firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC), saying the EFCL must be more vigorous in tracking the progress of its projects, adding, “I’m troubled by your initial response.” Cox agreed with Small’s suggestion that the EFCL needed more project managers.

Chaguanas East MP Fazal Karim asked how much the EFCL owed publishers on its school textbook rental programme. Cox did not know but promised to find out.

Karim asked if the textbook programme would be topped up before schools reopened in September.

Cox asked to defer the question to the line ministry, on whose behalf acting PS Angela Sinaswee-Jervais promised to supply details in writing soon.

Karim asked, “Is there an active textbook evaluation committee looking at the quality and content and how it responds to the curriculum as we speak?” Sinaswee-Jervais said a new committee was recently formed and drafted a report, but because she was on leave she had not yet seen it.

Karim asked if this committee wanted new books issued for the new school year. Ministry of Education acting deputy PS Shoba Jaisir replied that her remit was only infrastructure, not textbooks, but said the ministry could find out.