Dear Editor,

I listened to two interviews on the radio with Keith Smith, chief executive of e-Learning Jamaica. In the first interview, he asserted that the contract with GeoTech Vision to supply over 19 tablets was terminated because of quality issues.

A few hours later he was on Nationwide contradicting his first assertion. Now, he did not terminate the contract because of quality issues. This time his problem was with untimely delivery.

Incredibly he claimed that nobody from GeoTech Vision had contacted him to advise him that a shipment of over 12,000 tablets was sitting in their warehouse for the past three or more months.

A representative of GeoTech vision came on the programme and explained that the quality concern Smith expressed with the tablets was that the keys were not raised. Why on Earth would this be an issue if the tablets are not for blind children, and if these detailed specifications were never in the original contract.

GeoTech Vision offered to do a live test of the sample tablets with the eLearning team. Smith declined.

GeoTech Vision offered to have an independent body test the tablets. Smith again declined.

GeoTech Vision sought to get some mediation with eLearning. Smith declined.

The GeoTech Vision representative expressed that the company was not anxious to take the matter to court. But with an estimated $30 million to be lost I would urge the company to take this step. Smith and eLearning need to learn that he cannot terminate a US$16-million government contract with a simple wave of his arrogant hand.

Colin Wheeler

colinlwheeler@hotmail.com