Latest update April 20th, 2024 12:59 AM
May 28, 2014 News
Government has denied it “yanked” a multi-million dollar sluice gate contract it issued to Courtney Benn Contracting Services. Rather, the firm in the first place was not even awarded that contract.
The Ministry of Agriculture was yesterday responding to a report on Monday by Stabroek News headlined “Hope Canal sluice gates contract yanked from Courtney Benn”.
According to the Ministry, the construction of the sluice gates does not comprise an item of the Bill of Quantities of the contract with Courtney Benn.
“The contract awarded to and signed between the Ministry of Agriculture and Courtney Benn does not include the construction of steel gates; rather it is for the installation of steel gates. The installation of the gates is still part of Mr. Benn’s Contract.”
The Ministry said that from the outset, the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) was responsible for procurement of the requisite stainless steel materials for the fabrication of the gates.
“Thereafter, there would have been a handover to the contractor for installation. We deliberately not include it in the contract so that the work could be fast-tracked. As the Project developed, the NDIA went to a public bidding procedure to engage a contractor for the fabrication of the gates. This process has been completed and a contract was awarded to GNIC.”
The $3B-plus Hope Canal project was launched by former President Bharrat Jagdeo in his last term to help create an alternative outlet from the backlands of East Coast Demerara to the Atlantic Ocean.
In April 2011, Cabinet granted its ‘No objection’ to four major contracts to the tune of $1.49B. It included the building of a $350M, 300-foot long bridge along the Hope Public Road, $420M for a head regulator at the East Demerara Water Conservancy, and a $605M contract for a high level sluice outfall at the Atlantic Ocean to drain the channel. Another contract for $120.4M was approved for the supervising of the works.
The project has faced a number of delays and has been pushed back yet again to later this year.
Where is the BETTER MANAGEMENT/RENEGOTIATION OF THE OIL CONTRACTS you promised Jagdeo?
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