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Griga Market Project Supervisor Responds; Says Mayor Swazo Is Factually Wrong
posted (October 23, 2014)
In our last segment, you saw how the mayor of Dangriga dropped bombs on the Social Investment Fund accusing them of impoverishing his town residents. But, you didn't hear SIF's side of the story. They say that the mayor has it all wrong - and project supervisor Ernest Raymond discussed it with Jules Vasquez:..

Jules Vasquez
"You took some blows today; SIF the organization took some blows. The mayor accused you all of keeping the people of Dangriga poor, when you all should be a poverty alleviation fund. He says that in fact you all are impoverishing people. How do you respond to that?"

Ernest Raymond, Project Supervisor - SIF
"That's not the case. For one, when we started the renovation of the market we had allowed for the relocation of the vendors to a site that they can continue business. As you can see they were all relocated over there in a facility that was provided by the council. It's part of what we called a re-settlement re-allocation agreement. It's one of the major points of the safeguards that we ensure that persons affected by the project in any way do not suffer economically as well as inconvenience physically. Yes there were some discomfort over the last 2 years operating in a facility - a mere shed, a couple of boards to stand on, but business continued as usual and of course there were some..."

Jules Vasquez
"You are saying that because it's not your business."

Ernest Raymond, Project Supervisor - SIF
"No, we were here. We got the facts from them. In addition to that too, there were some wavers granted to the vendors, in terms of waver of fees and in some respect where the council had charged those vendors who they should not have charged we reimbursed those vendors for whatever charges they had to comply with. We reimburse them, so in some respect apart from the physical inconvenience in our opinion we do not feel that they have loss economically and as such today is the day."

Jules Vasquez
"How do you respond to the mayor's criticism that in fact the extra time has cost extra money and that money had to be taken from another project $400,000, so it is basically a case of impoverishing one area of the town to fix up the bad work in another?"

Ernest Raymond, Project Supervisor - SIF
"That is not the case. It is not a situation where $400,000 was removed from one project to complete another project. We operate on the basis of an allocation for each town council and there is an overall budget for the project. In that regard, as we see it presently there is still the likelihood of the Dangriga municipality getting their two streets; Gaspar Ramos and Trucking Boulevard. Right now they are being designed, the cost estimates are being developed and once those costs estimates are within the overall budget for the project; it's some 10 million dollars we are looking at for 7 municipalities - once its within that budget then very likely would be able address the two streets."

Reporter
"Are you forgetting that you've lost at least 4 colleagues within SIF as a result partly because corruption that occurred within this project."

Ernest Raymond, Project Supervisor - SIF
"I think we need to separate out the issue of those SIF officers who were engaged in inappropriate activities okay to the contract and the works that were being done here and may I say unequivocally that as it relates to the money spent on this project, the contract that was awarded there is no corruption associated with it. You can check our books, the auditors did two sets of audit on our books and there was no money lost, no money stolen."

Reporter
"All this going to be made public?"

Ernest Raymond, Project Supervisor - SIF
"Of course they are public documents. You can go on our website and see them."

Jules Vasquez
"Do you think the mayor showed poor graces when he lashed out, blazed out on you all today?"

Ernest Raymond, Project Supervisor - SIF
"Not really. It's how he feels. Its free speech in this country you know. You say how you feel. It is his feelings, I can't tell him he is either wrong or right, but in the matter of facts yes I can correct information that is either factual or not factual and if you want to raise any of them I can. There are some things that he is factually incorrect."

The market will be open on November first and the rental fee will not change. BUT the 22 vendors will have to pay a trade license fee of a three hundred dollars per year.

Tomorrow, you'll hear the part of the interview where we ask Raymond about whether the streets in Dangriga will still be paved.

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