Sakata la Kashfa ya Richmond: The Facts
Sakata la Kashfa ya Richmond: The Facts
- Thread starter Interested Observer
- Start date
Mzee Mwanakijiji
Platinum Member
- Mar 10, 2006
- 33,771
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Jamani, msianze kuwatusi; mkifikiria sana mtajua kwa nini. Kuna mengi ambayo hayasemwi hadharani na natumaini wengine mtakuwa wa kwanza kuomba radhi. Nina imani zaidi na Kamati ya Bunge kuliko kamati ya Madini ya Rais.... lets wait and see.. kama hakuna lolote siyo kwa sababu ya Kamati bali kwa sababu wamezidiwa "ujanja".
Hivi huyu Dk. Mwakyembe amesoma kweli? au ni yaleyale ya kina Kihiyo?
Taratibu halali zinajulikana, kwanza taratibu zilizotumika ziwekwe wazi halafu zilinganishwe na taratibu zilizotakiwa zitumike tuone je zinafanana au kuna hitilafu?
Je zabuni ilitangazwa? kama ilitangazwa ni kinani wali-apply? ni vigezo gani vilitakiwa vitumike kuichagua kampuni inayofaa?kampuni zilizo-apply zilitimiza vipi hivi vigezo? Richmond ilitimiza vipi? ni kina nani waliamua Richmond ipate tender? kwa vigezo gani? ni kitu gani unique na ambacho kiliifanya richmond iibuke mshindi kati ya wengine? haya maswali jamani yakijibika si kutakuwa na mwanga kidogo?
Kama jamaa walifuata taratibu zote halafu richmond pekee ikashindwa kutimiza wajibu wake, basi tujue ni makubaliano gani yalikuwepo iwapo richmond wangeshindwa kutimiza wajibu n.k.
Hivi vitu hapa vina-sound simple lakini hata on the ground hawo wanakamati kwani wanafanya nini? si lazima wawe na lengo lao? wanataka kujua nini? nani anazo hizo information? wamfuate wamuulize,maana katika mchakato mzima lazima kuna watu wanaojulika walihusika kushughulika hilo jambo la kutatua matatizo ya umeme, au TZ huwa ni shaghala bagala tu kwamba ooh tuna shida ya umeme basi wananchi fanyeni bidii mlete umeme, bila kugawana majukumu na kujua ni nani anashughulikia nini? ni nani anatakiwa awe responsible kwa kitu kipi jamani si taratibu tu mpaka kibaba kinajaa?
Sasa kutuambia wananchi hawaleti ushahidi jamani si ujinga huu? kwanini wasiseme mwananchi Ngungu Fulani alihusika katika katika kuweka records lakini tulivyomuita kutuonyesha records yeye hakuja, ndugu fulani bin fulani alihusika katika kuhakikisha tender inatangazwa magazetini tulivyomuita atuonyeshe akatimua, fulani ndie aliyeweka saini yake katika kuipa richmond tender tulimuita atueleze ni vigezo gani alitumia akakataa kuja n.k yaani facts on the paper sasa kusema eti wananchi hawakuja kuleta ushahidi bila kuwa specific wakati TZ ina wananchi sijui zaidi ya milioni 30 huu ni ujuha.
Ndio maana nimeuliza huyo Dk. kasoma kweli? kwa sababu hivi vitu wanavyotufanyia wananchi aidha ni ujuha au ni unyama. na kama ni hiyo ten percent potelea mbali wachukue, lakini 90% percent watuachie wananchi. sasa hiyo 10% wanachukua na 90% sijui wanagawana vipi maana sisi hatuioni. Jamani wema hauuzwi unagawiwa bure, sasa jamani nyie vizito kauchukueni buree kabisa na wala hamtakiwi kuulipia lakini mnaukimbia wema kama ukoma.
Taratibu halali zinajulikana, kwanza taratibu zilizotumika ziwekwe wazi halafu zilinganishwe na taratibu zilizotakiwa zitumike tuone je zinafanana au kuna hitilafu?
Je zabuni ilitangazwa? kama ilitangazwa ni kinani wali-apply? ni vigezo gani vilitakiwa vitumike kuichagua kampuni inayofaa?kampuni zilizo-apply zilitimiza vipi hivi vigezo? Richmond ilitimiza vipi? ni kina nani waliamua Richmond ipate tender? kwa vigezo gani? ni kitu gani unique na ambacho kiliifanya richmond iibuke mshindi kati ya wengine? haya maswali jamani yakijibika si kutakuwa na mwanga kidogo?
Kama jamaa walifuata taratibu zote halafu richmond pekee ikashindwa kutimiza wajibu wake, basi tujue ni makubaliano gani yalikuwepo iwapo richmond wangeshindwa kutimiza wajibu n.k.
Hivi vitu hapa vina-sound simple lakini hata on the ground hawo wanakamati kwani wanafanya nini? si lazima wawe na lengo lao? wanataka kujua nini? nani anazo hizo information? wamfuate wamuulize,maana katika mchakato mzima lazima kuna watu wanaojulika walihusika kushughulika hilo jambo la kutatua matatizo ya umeme, au TZ huwa ni shaghala bagala tu kwamba ooh tuna shida ya umeme basi wananchi fanyeni bidii mlete umeme, bila kugawana majukumu na kujua ni nani anashughulikia nini? ni nani anatakiwa awe responsible kwa kitu kipi jamani si taratibu tu mpaka kibaba kinajaa?
Sasa kutuambia wananchi hawaleti ushahidi jamani si ujinga huu? kwanini wasiseme mwananchi Ngungu Fulani alihusika katika katika kuweka records lakini tulivyomuita kutuonyesha records yeye hakuja, ndugu fulani bin fulani alihusika katika kuhakikisha tender inatangazwa magazetini tulivyomuita atuonyeshe akatimua, fulani ndie aliyeweka saini yake katika kuipa richmond tender tulimuita atueleze ni vigezo gani alitumia akakataa kuja n.k yaani facts on the paper sasa kusema eti wananchi hawakuja kuleta ushahidi bila kuwa specific wakati TZ ina wananchi sijui zaidi ya milioni 30 huu ni ujuha.
Ndio maana nimeuliza huyo Dk. kasoma kweli? kwa sababu hivi vitu wanavyotufanyia wananchi aidha ni ujuha au ni unyama. na kama ni hiyo ten percent potelea mbali wachukue, lakini 90% percent watuachie wananchi. sasa hiyo 10% wanachukua na 90% sijui wanagawana vipi maana sisi hatuioni. Jamani wema hauuzwi unagawiwa bure, sasa jamani nyie vizito kauchukueni buree kabisa na wala hamtakiwi kuulipia lakini mnaukimbia wema kama ukoma.
Inawezekana ni kweli, si unajua jinsi JK anavyopenda sifa. Richmond wakati mwingine huitwa "Rich-Monduli" na EL wa Monduli alizuia kwa nguvu zote suala la Richmond lisijadiliwe Bungeni. Hii huenda ni deal ya hao marafiki au "Boyz-2-Men". Si muda ukweli utajidhihirisha.
Mpaka Kieleweke
JF-Expert Member
- Feb 27, 2007
- 4,132
- 1,577
This is another testmony that this Country is now under leadership crisis.
We are curious waiting Mwakyembe's report , will it be like the one of PCCB?
We are curious waiting Mwakyembe's report , will it be like the one of PCCB?
BAK
JF-Expert Member
- Feb 11, 2007
- 124,790
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Richmond development Company: The origins
-Records show it was established less than 3 years before landing big Tanzanian deal
THISDAY REPORTER
Dar es Salaam
AS the parliamentary probe committee investigating the Richmond power generation scandal gets set to wind up its business as per schedule this week, new details have surfaced about the origins of the controversial company registered in the United States.
Among other things, it has emerged that Richmond Development Company (RDEVCO) was officially registered in the US state of Texas on September 11, 2003 � less than three years before it landed a huge, 172.9bn/- Tanzanian Government contract to supply emergency electricity for the national grid.
According to official documents from the Office of the Secretary of State of Texas seen by THISDAY, the same listed proprietor of RDEVCO - Mohamed Gire � was behind the establishment of another company with the Richmond namesake nine years before.
It is now understood that on August 1, 1994, Gire registered a company known as Richmond Printing, LLC. The documents show that this company - dealing primarily in the (Texas) states printing business � was given a lifespan of just 30 years from the date it was officially registered. On the other hand, the period of duration of RDEVCO was set at 99 years.
The registered office of both sister companies - Richmond Printing LLC and Richmond Development Company LLC - was listed as 5825 Schumacher, Houston, Texas 77057. Likewise, Gire appears in the documents as sole proprietor and manager of both companies.
According to a section of the Articles of Organization of Richmond Printing, LLC: The purpose for which the company is organized are to operate a printing business and to transact any or all lawful business for which limited liability companies may be organized under the act.
In the case of RDEVCO or Richmond Development Company, listed objectives include (but are not limited to) the purchase, development, sale, service, lease and management of personal and real properties of all kind and descriptions.
When Tanzania was facing an acute power shortage crisis last year following years of prolonged drought, Richmond Development Company was among the long queue of international firms that applied for a tender to generate 100MW of thermal-fired electricity in the country.
Eventually, as has already been well-documented, the government negotiation team controversially picked Richmond ahead of the other bidders, even after the Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO) had decided that the company was less than qualified for a project of such huge magnitude and critical importance to the nation as a whole.
And on the night of June 23, 2006 - exactly two years and nine months after its formal establishment in the US - Richmond and the government finally signed the multi-billion shilling deal at the Ministry of Energy and Minerals headquarters in Dar es Salaam.
Although TANESCOs warnings about Richmond appeared to have been deliberately ignored by the government negotiators, it did not take long for the US-registered company to all but justify the scepticism shown by the state-run power utility firm�s bosses.
With production deadlines spelt out in the contract spiralling hopelessly out of control, Richmond finally bowed out in late 2006, bringing in a United Arab Emirates-registered company - Dowans Holdings S.A � to inherit the contract.
By the time Dowans Holdings was ready to generate power, it was already a staggering 243 days behind schedule. According to industry experts, such a delay at a time when the country was facing crippling power shortages was enough to deal a body blow to the national economy at large.
The state-run Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) later revealed in an official report that there was interference by at least one top government official in the tender award process for the multi-million dollar contract that saw Richmond come out on top.
The PPRA revelations were made long after the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) had announced that its own investigation had found the whole Richmond deal to be clean and devoid of corruption.
Apparently not quite convinced by the PCCB report, members of parliament last month sought the formation of a parliamentary probe committee to re-investigate the circumstances behind the deal. The committee, chaired by legislator Dr Harrison Mwakyembe, is scheduled to conclude its work on Saturday this week.
-Records show it was established less than 3 years before landing big Tanzanian deal
THISDAY REPORTER
Dar es Salaam
AS the parliamentary probe committee investigating the Richmond power generation scandal gets set to wind up its business as per schedule this week, new details have surfaced about the origins of the controversial company registered in the United States.
Among other things, it has emerged that Richmond Development Company (RDEVCO) was officially registered in the US state of Texas on September 11, 2003 � less than three years before it landed a huge, 172.9bn/- Tanzanian Government contract to supply emergency electricity for the national grid.
According to official documents from the Office of the Secretary of State of Texas seen by THISDAY, the same listed proprietor of RDEVCO - Mohamed Gire � was behind the establishment of another company with the Richmond namesake nine years before.
It is now understood that on August 1, 1994, Gire registered a company known as Richmond Printing, LLC. The documents show that this company - dealing primarily in the (Texas) states printing business � was given a lifespan of just 30 years from the date it was officially registered. On the other hand, the period of duration of RDEVCO was set at 99 years.
The registered office of both sister companies - Richmond Printing LLC and Richmond Development Company LLC - was listed as 5825 Schumacher, Houston, Texas 77057. Likewise, Gire appears in the documents as sole proprietor and manager of both companies.
According to a section of the Articles of Organization of Richmond Printing, LLC: The purpose for which the company is organized are to operate a printing business and to transact any or all lawful business for which limited liability companies may be organized under the act.
In the case of RDEVCO or Richmond Development Company, listed objectives include (but are not limited to) the purchase, development, sale, service, lease and management of personal and real properties of all kind and descriptions.
When Tanzania was facing an acute power shortage crisis last year following years of prolonged drought, Richmond Development Company was among the long queue of international firms that applied for a tender to generate 100MW of thermal-fired electricity in the country.
Eventually, as has already been well-documented, the government negotiation team controversially picked Richmond ahead of the other bidders, even after the Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO) had decided that the company was less than qualified for a project of such huge magnitude and critical importance to the nation as a whole.
And on the night of June 23, 2006 - exactly two years and nine months after its formal establishment in the US - Richmond and the government finally signed the multi-billion shilling deal at the Ministry of Energy and Minerals headquarters in Dar es Salaam.
Although TANESCOs warnings about Richmond appeared to have been deliberately ignored by the government negotiators, it did not take long for the US-registered company to all but justify the scepticism shown by the state-run power utility firm�s bosses.
With production deadlines spelt out in the contract spiralling hopelessly out of control, Richmond finally bowed out in late 2006, bringing in a United Arab Emirates-registered company - Dowans Holdings S.A � to inherit the contract.
By the time Dowans Holdings was ready to generate power, it was already a staggering 243 days behind schedule. According to industry experts, such a delay at a time when the country was facing crippling power shortages was enough to deal a body blow to the national economy at large.
The state-run Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) later revealed in an official report that there was interference by at least one top government official in the tender award process for the multi-million dollar contract that saw Richmond come out on top.
The PPRA revelations were made long after the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) had announced that its own investigation had found the whole Richmond deal to be clean and devoid of corruption.
Apparently not quite convinced by the PCCB report, members of parliament last month sought the formation of a parliamentary probe committee to re-investigate the circumstances behind the deal. The committee, chaired by legislator Dr Harrison Mwakyembe, is scheduled to conclude its work on Saturday this week.
Mpaka Kieleweke
JF-Expert Member
- Feb 27, 2007
- 4,132
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Big up This Day crew.
WE need investigative journalism like this in Tanzania and not stories.
WE need investigative journalism like this in Tanzania and not stories.
Power to the People
JF-Expert Member
- Jul 11, 2007
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Nafurahi sana waandishi wakiandika hizi habari, hata kama hazifanyiwi kazi watu wanafunguka akili na macho wanaona jinsi viongozi wao walivyo selfish na wamekosa ubinadamu.
Mzee Mwanakijiji
Platinum Member
- Mar 10, 2006
- 33,771
- 41,027
Kazi safi kabisa This Day!
Katibu Tarafa
JF-Expert Member
- Feb 16, 2007
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lakini hapa haya yote yalikuwa wazi toka mwanzo,naomba tumpngeze mwanakijiji na wadau mbalimbali waliojitotea kuweka wazi sakata hili toka mwanzo,hawa thisday wamefanya marudio tu.wameandika kile kulichokuwa kimesemwa tangu hawali.
Susuviri
JF-Expert Member
- Oct 6, 2007
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Ni kweli na nimeshafanya uchunguzi na nimegundua story nyingi za maagazeti zinatokea hapahapa JamboForums! Kwa mfano JK kuitwa Vasco Da Gama ni member wa Jambo Forum waliyembatiza hivyo! Nakumbuka siku alipotoa hiyo jina nilicheka saaana! Nashangaa kuona mwandishi anaandika makala kama katunga yeye hiyo jina... labda ndiye memba mwenyewe?
Haya kuhusu Richmond na Mohamed Gire, hapa JF tunajua siku nyingi hakuna jipya. Si tunamsubiri Mzee Mwnkjj atushushie info tuzifanyie kazi, alafu tukishatafuna, kumeza na kusaga matumboni, waandishi wataandika. But it's ok, as long as the truth gets to light!
Haya kuhusu Richmond na Mohamed Gire, hapa JF tunajua siku nyingi hakuna jipya. Si tunamsubiri Mzee Mwnkjj atushushie info tuzifanyie kazi, alafu tukishatafuna, kumeza na kusaga matumboni, waandishi wataandika. But it's ok, as long as the truth gets to light!
Kitila Mkumbo
JF-Expert Member
- Feb 25, 2006
- 3,355
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Unataka kusema wale jamaa wa kamati hawawezi kuelewa kiingereza au?
Kitila Mkumbo said:
Kitila,
maana yangu ni kwamba magazeti ya Kiingereza hayana wasomaji wengi kulinganisha na yale ya Kiswahili.
mimi ningependa wananchi wengi zaidi wapate habari hizi. habari kama hizi zinapaswa kuwa sehemu ya ELIMU kwa MPIGA KURA.
Kitila Mkumbo
JF-Expert Member
- Feb 25, 2006
- 3,355
- 1,956
Hapo nakuelewa, you are absolutely right!
KakindoMaster
JF-Expert Member
- Dec 5, 2006
- 1,356
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Jamaa huyu asije kuwa Kasusura mwingine
BAK
JF-Expert Member
- Feb 11, 2007
- 124,790
- 288,165
As Richmond probe gets hotter: PM`s office back in the limelight
-Minister hastens to deny claims of undue influence on witness testimonies
THISDAY REPORTERS
Dar es Salaam
THE Prime Ministers Office is at the centre of new allegations suggesting that key government officials were either coached or intimidated prior to giving testimony before a parliamentary committee investigating the Richmond power generation scandal.
As the allegations of undue PMO influence surfaced, the chairman of the committee probing the highly-controversial 172.9bn/- deal declared yesterday that some witnesses already summoned appeared to have lied outright or otherwise sought to mislead the committee in their testimonies.
According to committee chairman Dr Harrison Mwakyembe, there were inconsistencies in the testimonies of some key witnesses, who will now have to be re-summoned before the committee to explain various discrepancies.
He also warned that any witness found to be making false statements could be charged with perjury for deliberately lying under oath before a parliamentary committee.
Responding to the allegations of witness coaching and intimidation, the Minister of State in the Prime Ministers Office (Parliamentary Affairs), Dr Batilda Burian, was quick to deny that the PMO has meddled in any way with the work of the parliamentary committee.
The Prime Ministers Office has never tried to influence the testimony of any government official who appeared before the parliamentary committee, Burian told THISDAY, adding: To the contrary, we have fully cooperated with the committee in its investigation.
The minister further clarified that the PMO had in fact helped to prepare some of the government officials summoned by the committee by advising them not to travel out of the country during this period, as well as to make all relevant documents readily available.
That was the first thing our office did. We gathered them (government officials) together and instructed every person who was involved (in the Richmond transaction) not to travel overseas, so that they remain available if called by the committee, Dr Burian said.
On the reported allegations that the PMO coached or intimidated some of the witnesses already called by the committee, the minister said: These reports are total fabrication...we will issue a formal public statement to clarify the matter.
Addressing a media conference in the city yesterday, Dr Mwakyembe said the committee had discovered that some of the witnesses (whom he did not name) had given conflicting and inadequate testimonies when summoned.
The committee is forced to summon some of these witnesses back to appear before us and corroborate their statements,said the Kyela legislator on a ruling CCM party ticket, adding: We will not hesitate to take appropriate action - under the Parliamentary Immunities, Powers and Privileges Act - against those who are found to have deliberately lied under oath.
Various sections of the local media have recently reported that some key government officials were not giving full cooperation to the parliamentary committee looking into the Richmond debacle.
In a related development, Dr Mwakyembe announced that the Speaker of the National Assembly, Samuel Sitta, has agreed to extend the timeline for the committee to conclude its work for another two weeks, to December 31 instead of December 15 (tomorrow) as earlier scheduled.
Three members of the committee are currently in the United States on a mission to determine the origins of Richmond Development Company LLC, which was registered in Houston, Texas. They are the committee vice-chairperson Ms Stella Manyanya (Special Seats - CCM), Lucas Selelii (Nzega - CCM) and Mohamed Mnyaa (Mkanyageni - CUF), who flew to the US on Monday this week accompanied by an official in the office of the parliament, Anselm Lyatonga Mrema.
As of yesterday, more than 30 officials have appeared before the committee in the course of its inquiry. It is also believed that the Prime Minister, Edward Lowassa, is amongst individuals in line to receive a summons to appear before the committee.
Lowassa was involved in overseeing government efforts to deal with the then-prevailing power shortage problems that led to the awarding of the contract for emergency power generation to the US-registered company last year. The PM is understood to have initially appointed a three-man government task force to work on the problem, including handling the tender process that eventually picked Richmond even after the company had been rejected as incompetent by the state-run Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO).
-Minister hastens to deny claims of undue influence on witness testimonies
THISDAY REPORTERS
Dar es Salaam
THE Prime Ministers Office is at the centre of new allegations suggesting that key government officials were either coached or intimidated prior to giving testimony before a parliamentary committee investigating the Richmond power generation scandal.
As the allegations of undue PMO influence surfaced, the chairman of the committee probing the highly-controversial 172.9bn/- deal declared yesterday that some witnesses already summoned appeared to have lied outright or otherwise sought to mislead the committee in their testimonies.
According to committee chairman Dr Harrison Mwakyembe, there were inconsistencies in the testimonies of some key witnesses, who will now have to be re-summoned before the committee to explain various discrepancies.
He also warned that any witness found to be making false statements could be charged with perjury for deliberately lying under oath before a parliamentary committee.
Responding to the allegations of witness coaching and intimidation, the Minister of State in the Prime Ministers Office (Parliamentary Affairs), Dr Batilda Burian, was quick to deny that the PMO has meddled in any way with the work of the parliamentary committee.
The Prime Ministers Office has never tried to influence the testimony of any government official who appeared before the parliamentary committee, Burian told THISDAY, adding: To the contrary, we have fully cooperated with the committee in its investigation.
The minister further clarified that the PMO had in fact helped to prepare some of the government officials summoned by the committee by advising them not to travel out of the country during this period, as well as to make all relevant documents readily available.
That was the first thing our office did. We gathered them (government officials) together and instructed every person who was involved (in the Richmond transaction) not to travel overseas, so that they remain available if called by the committee, Dr Burian said.
On the reported allegations that the PMO coached or intimidated some of the witnesses already called by the committee, the minister said: These reports are total fabrication...we will issue a formal public statement to clarify the matter.
Addressing a media conference in the city yesterday, Dr Mwakyembe said the committee had discovered that some of the witnesses (whom he did not name) had given conflicting and inadequate testimonies when summoned.
The committee is forced to summon some of these witnesses back to appear before us and corroborate their statements,said the Kyela legislator on a ruling CCM party ticket, adding: We will not hesitate to take appropriate action - under the Parliamentary Immunities, Powers and Privileges Act - against those who are found to have deliberately lied under oath.
Various sections of the local media have recently reported that some key government officials were not giving full cooperation to the parliamentary committee looking into the Richmond debacle.
In a related development, Dr Mwakyembe announced that the Speaker of the National Assembly, Samuel Sitta, has agreed to extend the timeline for the committee to conclude its work for another two weeks, to December 31 instead of December 15 (tomorrow) as earlier scheduled.
Three members of the committee are currently in the United States on a mission to determine the origins of Richmond Development Company LLC, which was registered in Houston, Texas. They are the committee vice-chairperson Ms Stella Manyanya (Special Seats - CCM), Lucas Selelii (Nzega - CCM) and Mohamed Mnyaa (Mkanyageni - CUF), who flew to the US on Monday this week accompanied by an official in the office of the parliament, Anselm Lyatonga Mrema.
As of yesterday, more than 30 officials have appeared before the committee in the course of its inquiry. It is also believed that the Prime Minister, Edward Lowassa, is amongst individuals in line to receive a summons to appear before the committee.
Lowassa was involved in overseeing government efforts to deal with the then-prevailing power shortage problems that led to the awarding of the contract for emergency power generation to the US-registered company last year. The PM is understood to have initially appointed a three-man government task force to work on the problem, including handling the tender process that eventually picked Richmond even after the company had been rejected as incompetent by the state-run Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO).