Latest update March 28th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 11, 2014 News
“Cabinet is concerned about contractors, the quality of work that is being done and of course the incessant delays in getting the work done.”
This is according to Dr. Roger Luncheon, Cabinet Secretary, during a brief interview with this publication.
Dr. Luncheon said that Guyana seems to be faced with contractors who fail to provide works of the requisite quality. He also said that this is not a novel problem and the contractors tend to provide all sorts of explanations for the delays in the execution of their contracts.
He asserted that there are problems associated with the contractors that are uniquely and exclusively “contractor problems” while there are those associated with obtaining products necessary for the execution of the project.
“I mean if a guy wants sand and he can’t get sand, he want stone and can’t get stone, he needs materials and doesn’t get the infrastructure support, there are lots of other considerations that we have to take and it is not going to be solved overnight,” Dr. Luncheon said.
Government is currently executing several large projects locally, including the construction of the four-lane expansions on the East Bank and East Coast Demerara Public Roads and the Hope Canal. Incidentally, these three projects are experiencing delays for various reasons.
For instance, several lots on the East Coast Demerara Public Road four-lane expansion project are behind schedule. Lot Two, through no fault of the contractor or the Ministry, was delayed for over a year.
BM Soat Auto Sales had taken the Public Works Ministry to court in an effort to prevent the Ministry from removing its fence to erect the roadway. Recently, the Ministry demolished the structure. However, the matter has not been completely resolved since BM Soat and the Ministry is back in Court.
Further, Lots Three and Four being undertaken by Courtney Benn Contracting Services Ltd (CBCSL) and Compustruct, are facing significant delays.
Lot Three, LBI to Beterverwagting, was awarded to CBCSL to the tune of $349M. And Lot Four, Beterverwagting to Triumph, was awarded to Compustruct to the tune of $322.3M.
In October last, Geoffrey Vaughn, Co-coordinator of Work Services Group, told this publication that while contractors executing works in Lots One, Five and Six are likely to conclude their contracts in a timely manner, Lots Three and Four are the problematic areas.
This publication was told that for about four months no works were executed in Lots Three and Four. This saw the Ministry writing to the contractors reminding them of their obligations to the project.
Yesterday, Courtney Benn Contracting Services Ltd returned to Lot Three and carried out minor works. This project is less than 20 percent completed and has a March 2014 deadline. Necessary construction materials needed to move the project ahead are not one site.
The contractors are yet to execute works on Lot Four. This section is a little over 30 percent completed. It is believed that the contractors would not complete the project in a timely manner.
Incidentally, Courtney Benn Contracting Services Ltd is also one of the contractors executing works on the Hope Canal. The overall construction works on the Northern Relief Channel is more than two years behind its original deadline.
While the three major components on the Hope Canal could have been completed in time for the project’s previous December 31, 2013 deadline, the eight-gated sluice, an aspect contracted to Courtney Benn Contracting Services, was way behind schedule.
The three-gated Head Regulator- the component assigned to BK International – is nearing completion.
BK International is also executing works on the East Bank Demerara Public Road four-lane project that is behind schedule. The contractor is executing works in Lot Three, from Demerara Distillers Limited, to Diamond Housing Scheme entrance.
In 2012, the Ministry and contractor said works on this lot were stalled for months owing to the presence of utilities. The contractor is currently carrying out works on the stretch.
BK International is also carrying out works at the Haags Bosch Landfill Site, which is also delayed. The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Authority has been pressing the contractor to hasten works, but to no avail.
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
Mar 28, 2024
Minister Ramson challenge athletes to better last year’s performance By Rawle Toney Kaieteur Sports – Guyana’s 23-member contingent for the CARIFTA Games in Grenada is set to depart the...B.V. Police Station Kaieteur News – The Beterverwagting Police Station, East Coast Demerara (ECD) will be reconstructed... more
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News – In the face of escalating global environmental challenges, water scarcity and... more
Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]