Dredging For Money

Patrick Lablache We all know the dredging business pumps a lot of coral fill and uses a lot of mesh material to retain the coral fill from erosion. A lot of rocks are also used for bundling the coral fill and to repel waves and weaken them as they arrive to the new island. The costs of these items run into the millions and millions of dollars. An award for a new island to be dredged not on the dredging list while the dredger is here is worth millions of dollars to the company.

The Government has appointed Mr. Patrick Lablache to do the consulting work for Government of Seychelles when the dredger comes to Seychelles again next year. The President cites Mr. Lablache’s expertise in dredging as the reason why he has been appointed to this job. On the last dredging project, Mr. Lablache did not have an understudy with him. He could have easily trained at least five other Seychellois to do the work he does, just in case we need assistance in the future. But this does not seem to have been done.

Incidentally, it is noteworthy for the public to be advised that Mr. Lablache worked in the Ministry that just happens to be missing $4.5 Million for the Ile Perseverance Project. As the dredger arrives, I am most certain Mr. Lablache will be brushing up on his dredging skills.

Since this type of project involves so much money, I would suggest to Government that independent accounting firms are contracted to oversee the entire dredging project. It may also be a good idea to allow an independent body like the group headed by Mr. Marc D’offay, who has similar knowledge of dredging as Mr. Lablache, to supervise the activities and disbursement of funds in so far as Government will be involved.

We must use all our professional talent to safeguard all our interests when such a big operation is undertaken and not put all our eggs in one basket by entrusting such a huge operation involving millions of dollars in the hands of one person alone. We must learn from our past mistakes and not repeat the same mistake over and over again. “Madness,” it is said, “is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result.” The Ile Perseverance fiasco should remain always a lesson well learnt to the SPPF government. Money, especially foreign exchange, which is much needed at present, should not be allowed to mysteriously disappear without a trace, accountability and transparency. The SPPF government should stop rewarding mediocrity once and for all.

Even dredging consultants can live in glass houses!