00:00Several problems spanning years as it pertains to the Shagrammer's Development Authority.
00:05So says Legal and Land Affairs Minister Saddam Hussein in revealing some of what has allegedly been discovered based on his engagement with the new CDA board.
00:14Some of the preliminary findings that were made. One, there's a failure by the former CDA to ensure procurement rules and regulatory filings were adhered to. The OPR informed the CDA that the CDA has been non-compliant in its contract reporting since the inception of the Act.
00:34He says this included a non-submission of a readiness assessment checklist for 2024-2025, as well as no scheduled plan procurement activities, no disposal reporting and no quarterly contract reporting for that 2024-2025 period.
00:51Hussein adds that there was also a failure to file Freedom of Information reports since 2023.
00:56This one was exceedingly alarming when I got my briefing as Minister. There were no audited, and I want you all to pay very close attention to this, there were no audited statements since financial year ending September 30th, 2017.
01:14The CDA is operating without management accounts or any form of financial statements for the period ending 30 September 2024 and 30 September 2025.
01:24There's an absence of a fixed asset register. There's an absence of written procurement policy and guide for contracts less than $1 million.
01:32The CDA had accounts receivable of $83.2 million in the period ending 30 September 2023, which was inflated to $95.1 million for the period ending 30 September 2024.
01:50According to the Minister, the Board has indicated that it will be taking action on these issues, and an audit subcommittee has been instituted.
01:58But he also points to the distribution of lands and leases as a cause for concern.
02:04Hussein cites a prominent attorney, whom he claims benefited from a CDA land lease close to the general election of 2025.
02:11I think that was a personal attorney or friend of the former prime minister.
02:18And in fact, he was granted a lease for a parcel of land measuring approximately 22,000 square foot, square feet.
02:35And this property is located on Monos Island, also called Turtle Bay.
02:44And what is surprising to me is, and there were valuation reports and so on, but he is getting this rent for a term of 30 years at the price of $2,200 per month.
03:00Asked what his ministry plans to do regarding this, the minister tells us,
03:04an audit of the leases has been done and they have been classified into compliant, non-compliant, and those who are up for rent review.
03:11He adds that legal advice may be needed on some of those leases.
03:16Hussein Firda states that a CDA board is working on a new developmental plan geared towards transforming the CDA into a proper business model.
03:25Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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