The Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC), chaired by the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Sebastien Pillay carried out a site visit to the La Gogue Dam Site in the afternoon of Thursday 7th April 2022. The Committee was accompanied by the Auditor General, Mr. Gamini Herath, the Chief Executive Officer of the Public Utilities Corporation (PUC), Mr. Joel Valmont, the Project Coordinator, Ms. Erna Victor and consultants, including officials from the Synohydro Corporation Limited.
The aim of the visit was to obtain an update from the financial perspective relating to the progress of different phases of the project. The Committee was given an overview of the project by officials from PUC in the presence of the consultants. Ms Erna Victor a project coordinator working with PUC also highlighted the challenges that PUC have faced, including the COVID-19 pandemic which caused delays to the project and other factors such as the truck drivers protest which resulted in compensation being paid to the main contractor on the project.
Members of FPAC addressed the fiscal impact of the project, including reassignment of funds in relation to certain structural issues which PUC Management gave assurances were within the financial scope of the project. The Chairperson of FPAC Hon. Pillay noted that whilst an impressive amount of work has been carried out, he also raised concern that unforeseen delays such as that which resulted from the truck owners strike meant substantial compensation had to be paid to the main contractor and such industrial action is something that future projects must take into consideration. The FPAC will continue to engage with the Office of the Auditor General in order to ensure that it is kept abreast of the different elements identified through the Audit.
Other Members of the Committee present at the site visit were; the Vice-Chairperson of the Committee, Hon. Terence Mondon, Hon. Georges Romain, Hon. Conrad Gabriel, Hon. Richard Labrosse.
