VMCOTT execs wait in vain

A minimum of three committee members, including one from the Upper House and one from the Lower House, is required for the meeting to take place.

But PAEC chairman, Wade Mark, and Independent Senator, Mary King, were the only committee members who showed up for yesterday’s meeting.

A full complement of VMCOTT officials, including acting CEO, Joel Brown, was present, as well as, representatives from government ministries.

But, after an embarassingly long wait, Mark announced that they were waiting on UNC MP, Hamza Rafeeq, to arrive to start the meeting. In the meantime, he spent nearly half an hour giving Brown questions which he had to answer within ten days. When it was clear that Rafeeq was not going to show, Mark adjourned the meeting, saying they did not have a quorum and could not engage in the kind of exchanges they would like.

Recently, parliamentary committee chairmen banded together and formed the Council of Committee Chairmen in a bid to get Government to address many problems they said they were facing. One of the problems was the reluctance of representatives from government ministries and agencies to appear before joint select committee meetings. Another was the length of time they took to furnish reports.

At yesterday’s PAEC, Mark asked Brown to answer a number of questions which arose from the company’s 2004 financial statement.

Mark wanted to know why a number of million-dollar loans were still on VMCOTT’s books since they were not loans for the purpose of carrying out its Cabinet-approved mandate. Brown was asked to provide all documents, specifications and invoices relating to a $9.82 million loan granted for the purchase of specialised hardware and software for the National Security Ministry.

Mark also wanted documented information on another $21.5 million loan granted to VMCOTT for the purchase of equipment for use by the ministry and its agencies.

And Brown was also asked to furnish details about a $6.4 million loan for the purchase of vehicles leased to the Health Ministry.

Mark, reading from the notes in VMCOTT’s 2004 financial report, further asked about a $4.862 million loan which was allowed for “depreciation.”

“What assets of VMCOTT depreciated?” Mark wanted to know.

“And in what condition were 100 Vauxhall vehicles owned by the company?”