On Tuesday, a letter from a government-contractor company surfaced online, causing an uproar among the members of the public, with some questioning the amount.
In March 2023, the Ministry of Finance and Planning and Geners Company Ltd. inked the six-year janitorial service deal.
According to a letter of complaint from Geners management, the government institution was to pay $113,000 per month for six years. However, it failed to pay up for two years.
The amount caught the attention of many, who think that the deal is a scam meant to steal public monies.
“So we are clearly determined to destroy our country, if we are giving such bogus contracts while claiming that the country is broke!,” writes Prof. Jok Madut on Facebook.
Before we delve into mathematics, it’s prudent to highlight the nature of the services rendered to the inarguably most visited government institution at the ministerial complex.
Some of the thousands of visitors who flock to the ministry on a daily basis include contractors, senior government officials, army generals, and special villagers who seek financial handouts.
Now imagine the visits to the urinals and toilets. Imagine the paper towel and toilet roll usage. Imagine the mud on the rugs. Imagine thawut (snuff) disposed of on the floor and rugs. ‘Hok thwa!’
‘Kene a pel, kene a lac, kene a koth, ku kene a ngut.’ With some visitors unfamiliar with water closets, they squat on the cisterns, leaving china broken or leaking. Imagine the number of times plumbers are called to repair the damage.
Due to the constant pollution of air, imagine the number of air freshener sprays used in a day.
As an important institution with three sites, the over 100 cleaners are literally worker bees and are always on their toes, running around to ensure that the offices remain clean.
Putting into consideration the market prices, Geners’ workers pay, tile and toilet maintenance fees, transportation and lunch for workers, plus the profit for the company, do the math.
Therefore, the nose should be directed at the senior officials at the ministry. Why hasn’t it honored the contract it signed two years ago?
It appears the senior officials have contracted another company, Deng and Daughters, to work concurrently with Geners as it handles the new building.
The D&D contract costs $291,000 per month. Does the ministry have the financial capacity to pay both companies $404,000 per month?
How does this align with transparency and responsible public spending?
Tearz © Wednesday, April 9, 2025
