PHILIPSBURG–It has been six months and United People’s (UP) party Member of Parliament (MP) Franklin Meyers says he is still awaiting a response from Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour Emil Lee on a number of questions about the project to build a new hospital for the country.
The MP forwarded a second request on Thursday via Parliament to Lee enquiring about when the answers will be received. He stated in the correspondence that he looks forward to a response as soon as possible.
On August 23, 2016, Meyers asked in his letter to Lee whether formal contract negotiations between Social and Health Insurances SZV regarding the new general hospital and the new government administration building were finalised. If yes, Meyers requested a copy of the contracts; if not, he asked why contracts have not been formalised.
He also queried how much funds had been spent by SZV thus far in preparations of the new hospital, and said if any contracts were formalised, “How is it possible for SZV to release funds with no binding contracts in place?
“While it is recommended that SZV invest in beneficial projects, it must also be made clear that engineers should make prior contribution into a proper pension arrangement in order to receive pension funds,” Meyers said in his original letter.
He requested a copy of the signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the new hospital and the Government Administration Building, as well as a copy of the agreement with SZV and the five independent evaluation teams related to the bidding process of the new hospital.
He also enquired about the cost of the evaluation process, and asked whether a risk analysis had been done for the completion of the new government building and the new hospital. He requested copies of both.
He also commented on the resignation of Dr. Michel Petit as Chairman of SZV’s Supervisory Board. Petit had mentioned, “Overreaching and undue influence,” from Minister Lee as one of the reasons for his resignation. Meyers has asked Lee what was meant by Petit’s statement of “over reaching and undue influence” by the minister.
Lee had said Petit’s statements of his resignation had a “suspicious political flavour” and he had urged Petit to provide evidence that he (Lee) had in anyway exerted inappropriate influence over the supervisory board and implementing body, an allegation Minister Lee said he “takes extremely seriously.”
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/63895-meyers-still-awaits-answers-from-lee
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