KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) is calling for National Energy Solutions Limited (NESOL) and eGov to appear before the Public Administrations and Appropriations Committee of Parliament (PAAC) to answer questions relating to their operations, citing “mounting concerns relating to expenditure and other issues”.

The PNP made the call following a sitting of the PAAC where it said the spotlight continued on agencies within the former Science, Energy and Technology Ministry, which was headed by Dr Andrew Wheatley who was recently stripped of the energy portfolio.

The party, in a release today, justified its call based on questions raised by Opposition spokesman on science and energy Phillip Paulwell regarding the operations at both entities.

The PNP said NESOL, which is another agency under the domain of Wheatley, with responsibility for creating new energy solutions to expand the reach of electricity supply to rural areas, is alleged to have wasted huge sums of public funds in numerous activities without the requisite approval.

It argued that while there is a criminal investigation surrounding two NESOL employees, reports from eGov indicate that there has been a rapid increase in staff turnover the past two years, and that the work environment continues to deteriorate amidst widening uncertainty and fear.

Paulwell is said to have asked through the PAAC chairman that the representatives of eGov be invited to the committee to provide answers to questions relating to management of the agency, including meetings of the board, travel of the eGov chairman to Estonia, the contractual arrangement with a well-known disbarred attorney, the sudden termination of major employment contracts, the expenditure on retreats and overseas travels of the agency’s leadership.

“With clear and proven evidence that Wheatley has failed to manage the former Science and Technology portfolio at an acceptable standard, questions must be raised about all agencies under the ambit of his portfolio,” the PNP said.